Stark's New Intern
by Uzumaki-Rebellion
Summary: Erik Stevens is fresh out of the Naval Academy and spending his summer before M.I.T. completing a three-month internship at Stark Industries. Tony Stark takes a keen interest in mentoring nineteen-year-old Erik, but he soon learns that the son of a rebel Prince may be the true teacher.
1. Chapter 1

"_**Black skin, black braids  
Black waves, black days  
Black baes, black days  
These are black-owned things  
Black faith still can't be washed away  
Not even in that Florida water…"**_

_**Solange— **_**"Almeda"**

Erik Stevens found the silver-bullet gray colored suit his Uncle Bakari bought him for his first day of the Stark internship a little too flashy and way too expensive for a three-month summer gig. It took him at least ten minutes to fix a decent four-in-hand knot for his purple tie, and he had a cut on his freshly shaved face that still bled through the tiny piece of tissue paper he had to staunch the flow of red. What he didn't need to do was stain the pricey suit. He just wanted a low-profile in this bitch.

But the moment the shuttles from the hotel picked up the other interns housed for the first week of orientation in front of the lobby, Erik realized his Uncle was right about the suit. The other young men and women were draped.

"Hi, you have a …"

A Black woman who looked to be in her early twenties pointed to Erik's cheek. He was confused for a second until he remembered the tissue on his face. He smiled and picked it off, throwing it into a trash bin near the lobby entrance door. He wiped his hands with a small dab of hand-sanitizer he kept in the pocket of his slacks. He noticed some white guys at dinner the night before sneezing and coughing without protecting others from their microscopic germ particles so he stayed proactive in keeping himself sanitized at all times for himself and others.

"Thanks," he said, his eyes flitting around the space to size up his competition.

"I'm Giselle," the woman said.

Erik's eyes returned to hers.

"Erik," he said.

"You look really nice," she said, sizing up his suit.

"Thanks," he said. He wasn't sure of how much small talk he was up for. The introvert in him was on high alert, but he tapped into his Naval Academy training and focused on fitting in.

"I like the bold choice in a tie," she said.

The amethyst color was a gift from his play Aunt Serah. She shipped it over from London and made him promise he would take a ton of pictures in his full ensemble.

"Most of the guys here are being pretty conservative…basic blues and blacks," she said. She moved closer to him so others wouldn't eavesdrop.

"What's that you're wearing?" she asked.

"The suit?"

She sniffed.

"Your cologne."

He put too much Florida Water on himself. His Nana and his mother used to sprinkle it on him for special occasions when he was little. Old Southern and old Geechee ways. It was supposed to protect him from bullshit in the world.

"Florida Water."

"It has a nice clean smell," she said.

Okay.

Erik looked Giselle over.

East Coast accent. Not New York. Not D.C. or Virginia….Philly? Nah…Baltimore. That was it. That was what he was hearing. A B-More girl trying to hide the B-More girl in this heavily vanilla mix.

She fine though. Pretty mocha brown skin. Big ole kissable lips stained with dark mauve lipstick. Hair braided tight to the scalp with silver hair jewelry clipped on the ends that fell down her back. The conservative navy-blue dress she had on was most definitely money. Her family probably splurged to make that best first impression too. Correction. The shoes on her feet were expensive but not new. Nah, Ma came from old money.

"Gotta stand out some kind of way," he said.

"Where you from Erik? L.A.?"

"Do I look like I'm from L.A.?"

"Sound like it—"

"I'm from L.A., this dude is from Oakland."

Curtis.

Erik sat with him at the hotel breakfast buffet. Affable guy. One of maybe ten Black interns Erik had counted from the previous night. He was two years older than Erik and kept rubbing it in when everyone else around him was drinking adult beverages and he was stuck nursing a Pepsi. Erik spent most of the night watching him try to spit game to Giselle. But this girl was caking niggas she thought were going somewhere. She spent most of her night with the Chads and Brads of the lighter hue on the ecru/eggshell white spectrum. He couldn't blame her for that. The other brothas there were cornballs jocking the long-backed Becky's.

Not to say that none of the white girls there weren't attractive, they were just…dull. Tennis Club dull. Abercrombie & Fitch dull. At least Giselle stood out, not just because of her blackness, but her personality. She had one. Vivacious. Foul-mouthed when that liquor got up in her. Funny. She clearly had brains to be there. They all did.

"Here we go," Curtis said.

The shuttles were taking them away in groupings because there were so many of them. One hundred and one total. Weird.

They arrived at the Stark Industries Los Angeles headquarters and were ushered into a cavernous meeting space. Uptempo music played, and tables filled with water and juice refreshments awaited them. Erik grabbed a water bottle and made his way to a seat near the front but on the side.

Giselle and Curtis followed him and took seats on either side of him.

"This place is huge," Curtis said.

Once they all were seated around a circular stage, the lights went down and a vid presentation gave a quick two-minute update on what Stark Industries had been up to the past year. Erik felt his energy falling and was happy to have the water to sip on to give him something to do. His left leg started bouncing with agitated energy and only stopped when he felt Giselle touch his thigh when he hit her leg.

"My bad," he whispered leaning his leg away from her.

Stark's people hounded him for a whole year to accept the internship before he even graduated from the Academy. They got one whiff of his full-ride to M.I.T. and they pursued him aggressively. Turning it down twice, he wondered if he should've skipped it a third time when the vid stopped abruptly and Tony Stark rose up from a platform underneath the round stage. Everyone around him started clapping wildly and Tony ate that shit up by waving and doing a little jig with his legs as the applause rose in volume. This nigga. Corny theatrics. Giselle noticed him not clapping and she smirked at him as her hands added to the uproar.

"Alright…alright. Let's get down to business folks," Tony said. He snapped his fingers and a holographic image of the Stark logo floated above him.

"Why are you here?"

Tony paused and then walked around the three-sixty stage knowing all eyes were on him.

"That was rhetorical. You're here because I want you here. Each one of you was hand-picked by me. Being here is not a competition but a community of brilliant minds. That's what I do. I bring the best together and then I steal from you…"

Laughter from the audience and a few hoots.

Tony flashed his well-known grin, his goatee trim, and his hair freshly-clipped. His charcoal gray suit was pure French-designer chic, and Erik noticed the purple tie that brought the whole ensemble together. Aunt Serah was on it. El jefe's suit was just the next level version of the one Erik had on.

"Reality time. You are here to learn from me and hopefully, by the end of this journey, I will have some new brilliance to add to my brain trust at Stark Industries. Your only real competition is yourself…and this guy—"

Tony waved two fingers in front of his face and Erik's holographic image floated in place of the Stark logo above Tony's head.

"Stevens, Erik. Oakland, California. I.Q…170. Einstein and Hawking territory. Nineteen-years-old. M.I.T. bound…"

Erik felt Giselle's head turning his way to stare at him. In fact, he felt a lot of heads turning towards him. He felt his body sinking down into his seat a bit.

_Shit._

So much for keeping a low profile in that hoe.


	2. Chapter 2

"_**Ridin' 'round town, they gon' feel this one**__**  
**__**Ridin' 'round town, they gon' feel this one**__**  
**__**Ridin' 'round town, they gon' feel this one**__**  
**__**Ridin', ridin' 'round town, they gon' feel this one (oh)**__**  
**__**(Got my, got my, got my, got my eyes open)**__**  
**__**(Got my, got my, got my eyes open) (oh)**__**  
**__**(Got my, got my, got my, got my eyes open)**__**  
**__**(Got my eyes open)…"**_

_**Tyler The Creator – **_**"Igor's Theme"**

Tony put a mark on his back.

Erik spent the rest of the morning orientation in the Stark Industries offices feeling like a target. He wasn't trying to be like Tupac with all eyes on him, but that's what happened after the Big Boss put him on blast.

The interns were divided up into groups of twenty and given a physical tour of the headquarters. He was separated from Giselle and Curtis and herded along with his group to visit the on-site cafeteria first. From jump, he was inundated with questions from the other interns as they walked from tour site to tour site, and he was already mentally drained by the time they broke for lunch. They were not allowed to eat in the cafeteria just yet and were given meal cards that could be used outside of the building where a plethora of restaurants and fast food places were within walking distance in downtown Los Angeles.

On an elevator, a cute Filipino girl with honey-brown skin stuck close to him asking about what he would study at M.I.T.

"Bioacoustics," he said, keeping his eyes on the lights of the elevator floors they were cruising past. Eighty floors. Stark's was the tallest building in Los Angeles, beating out the U.S. Bank Tower by seven floors.

"Interesting," the woman said.

Erik peeped her name tag. Maria Alvarez. Spanish colonized name, Filipino-American roots.

"What's interesting about it?" he threw back out her.

He could feel the ten other interns on the elevator with them eavesdropping on them. All white guys except for three other white women and a Nepalese woman who attended Oxford. He only knew this because she was bragging about it every chance she got when she was near him.

_Bitch, no one cares…_

Erik's eyes went back down to Maria. Pixie haircut. Heart-shaped face. Eager brown eyes that twinkled. A people pleaser vibe wafted off of her.

"Just interesting. I've never met anyone who studied that before. What made you choose that?"

The elevator doors opened. Thank God.

The interns surged out into a larger sea of interns gathered in the lobby and heading out to have a meal. They were given ninety minutes for lunch. Time to walk, find a spot, eat, socialize, digest, and have time to walk back.

"Erik!"

Giselle was waving at him and he was happy to see her. He felt Maria sticking to his side as he maneuvered through the throng of people to get to a familiar face.

"Hi," Giselle said looking at Maria hovering near him.

"Hi, Maria," she said pointing to her name tag.

"Giselle," Giselle said pointing to hers.

"Can I hang out with you guys? I feel very overwhelmed and don't do well by myself," Maria said clutching her handbag.

"Sure. What are you guys up for? The Stark App listed about twenty spots ten minutes from here," Giselle said.

"Five Guys Burgers—"

"Phở-," Maria said.

"Hold up, how you gonna invite yourself to eat with us?" Erik said glaring at Maria.

"Who said I was eating with you? Maybe I'm going with Maria," Giselle protested.

Maria smirked and Erik stared at Giselle.

"You called me over here," he said feeling perturbed that they were still standing in the thick of the crowd.

"Yeah, to say hi and ask how the tour was for you," Giselle said, "Phở sounds great, Maria."

Maria held up her micro cell.

"Five-minute walk from here," she said.

"Cool. So, would you like to join _us_, Erik?"

Giselle's lips had a pouty curve to them and Erik found himself staring at them and wondering some things he shouldn't.

"There's a burger place right in the same food court," Maria said holding her cell up to him.

Erik glanced around looking for Curtis or anyone else that may have a taste for red meat. The interns were filing out of the building like rats jumping ship. It was best to make a power move before there were long lines for food.

"Let's go," Erik said stalking past the two women and leading them toward the exits.

Outside, the Los Angeles smog kept the heat hanging down low and Erik was ready to climb out of his suit and hit the hotel pool.

"Did you guys hear what went down earlier?"

Erik was glad to hear Curtis' excited voice swooping down on them as he walked over with a white guy who had jubilant smile on his face when he saw Erik.

Erik and Curtis shared some dap and he gave a head nod to the white guy named Owen from his nametag.

"Five interns got cut already—" Curtis said.

"Cut?" Giselle asked.

"Yeah. They were pulled aside right after we left Stark—"

"I was near them when they were removed," Owen said.

"Hey, this is my roommate Owen," Curtis said, "tell them the rest dude."

Owen's hands went out like he was telling a scary story around a campfire, his sandy-brown hair slicked into stylish professional spikes and tapered around the sides. A Malibu Ken if Erik ever saw one.

"Check this, we were finishing the last of the group divides and none of these guys were placed with anyone. They're standing around looking confused like they missed their names being called or something, but then this huge guy shows up, um, Hogan, that was his name, and he pulls these guys away and takes their intern badges away from them. They are escorted by security out of the room. It was crazy."

"But why were they kicked out? Were they told right there?" Maria asked Owen.

"No. Everyone is pretty nervous about it. What if Mr. Stark is doing a ten little Indians thing—"

"That's racist dude," Erik said.

The tone in his voice made Owen tight-lipped.

"Racist? How is that racist? It's just an expression-" Owen said perplexed.

"And it's still racist. Like Indian-Giver. Spirit Animal-?

"Dude, how is Spirit animal—"

"You not Native, so you don't use it," Erik said stepping closer to Owen to punctuate his point.

"You Native or something?"

"Got Native family, so I don't let shit slide—"

"Please, can we save the PC talk for later. Finish about the guys being kicked out," Maria said, her face pinched like she was scared to lose her place among the interns too.

"That's all we know so far," Curtis said.

"Let's go get some food. Maybe we can find some people who can give us more details," Giselle said. Erik could see the worry on her face too.

They all walked to a stoplight at a one-way street surrounded by the mass of interns chattering away and laughing.

"Damn!" Curtis shouted as a chrome and black Lagonda Vision pulled up in front of them. The driver's side dark tinted window rolled down, the beginning of Al Green's "Love and Happiness" blasting out from inside the vehicle.

Tony Stark glanced over at them, dark shades gleaming.

"Stevens, get in," Tony said.

Erik closed his eyes for a second and once again felt the tension of being singled-out from the group. Curtis nudged Erik to move forward.

"If you don't get in that whip," Curtis whispered to him from between gritted teeth.

Erik made the walk around the front of the car to the passenger side. It felt like it took him twenty years to make it inside the ride because all the eyes that watched him made his stomach churn again. He opened the door and climbed in. Tony barely waited for him to close the door before he had his foot on the gas and the deep rumble of the ultra-luxury car sped them away from the plebeians.

"We're having lunch at Durangos," Tony said, turning down his music.

"Why you put me out like this?" Erik said, annoyed as he watched Tony speed through downtown L.A.

"Put you out?'

"Yeah. How am I supposed to fit in if you keep separating me from the pack? Shits not cool, bruh."

"You speak to adults like that with that potty mouth, kiddo?"

Erik curled his lips and glanced out of the passenger window.

"I singled you out because I needed to let the other interns know that I won't tolerate disrespect or racist behavior—"

"Racist behavior?"

"I had five interns dismissed because of you."

"What did I do?"

Erik's eyes glared at Tony hard. Tony pushed his dark glasses to the top of his head.

"You did nothing but be brilliant. And word got to me from last night that there were some young men making comments about you and some other interns who are not my hue. Calling you all forced diversity quota recruits, a minority pity party to make myself look good. I don't accept that type of bullshit in my world—"

"Language," Erik said giving Tony a sly look.

Tony glanced over at him as they idled at a red light.

"I put your picture and your stats out there to let any other privileged asshats know that you set the standard. That way any other little punk with that hate in their heart would know that they need to get their act together and that they are not the only talent out there. Capiche?"

"I hear ya," Erik said focusing his eyes back toward the windshield.

"You have your big boy pants on. You can handle the scrutiny."

"But why not let me have lunch with everyone else?"

"Because you're not like everyone else and they need to know that. Chill. I know what I'm doing."

"I hope so. Will you replace the guys you dumped?"

"Maybe. But it's good to let the others stew. Tighten up the ship a bit. It forces people to reevaluate how they arrived here."

"Are you going to tell the others why?"

"They'll figure it out. The grapevine is on fire as we speak."

"Good looking out then."

"I have a reputation too, not always the best in the public, but the last thing anyone can accuse me of is being a racist or grooming them. I can be an asshole, but I'm an asshole to everyone from every walk of life."

Tony zipped the car into a valet carport.

"You like lobster?" Tony asked.

"Who doesn't?"

"People with allergies to shellfish. Keep up Stevens, what's wrong with you?" Tony said winking.

Erik stepped out of the car.

"Welcome back Mr. Stark," a thin Black valet said taking Tony's keys.

"Hello, Marlon. This is Erik. Get used to seeing his face."

"Yes, Sir," Marlon said jumping into Tony's car and whipping it away down the street.

"Yeah, I need to talk to him about that speeding," Tony said watching his car disappear.

Erik followed Tony into Durangos and the hostess at the door lead Tony right away to a private seat in the back.

Tony immediately reached for the wine and spirits menu.

"You drink?" he asked Erik.

"I'm nineteen."

"I didn't ask for your age, I asked if you drank."

"I could go for some Henny," Erik said reaching for the other drink menu.

Tony slapped his hand.

"What's wrong with you? You're underaged young man. Shameful!"

"You got jokes," Erik said leaving the drink menu alone.

"I'll get you a Shirley Temple. More your speed—"

"Tony!"

"And here we go…" Tony said slipping his drink menu in front of Erik's place setting.

A severe-looking slender blonde with sharp features and a nasal-sounding voice stomped over to Tony's table.

"You are so predictable," the woman said as a scowl spread on her face.

"Hey Pepper. Have you met Erik? Erik this is my assistant, Pepper Potts."

Erik allowed his eyes to flick back and forth between them.

"W'sup Pepper?" Erik said.


	3. Chapter 3

**_"Don't let your young life get you down  
It always had a certain mystery  
Many changes come to everyone  
About the time that they turn seventeen  
Grandma said at times you'll feel a sting  
There'll be sharp turns and uphills and closed doors  
Then she said hold onto your faith  
'Cause in this world you've got to go and get yours_**

**_So you stand up  
Be strong go out there  
Hold on to the real things that matter  
'Cause no one's gonna hand it to you on a silver platter…"_**

**_The Brand New Heavies_—"Brother Sister"**

Pepper Potts glared at Tony like he stole cash from her purse.

"What have I done now?" Tony asked.

He placed his hands on the table in an open palm stance. A waiter walked up behind Pepper holding a martini and Erik watched Tony shake his head and the waiter slunk back to the bar. Clearly Boss Man wasn't supposed to be at Durangos. And it appeared that he wasn't supposed to be drinking either. Erik grabbed a menu and stuck his nose down in it to figure out how much of Tony's money he was about to use up. He was hungry and bold enough to spend hundreds at that moment.

Pepper ignored Erik and pulled out a file from the charcoal gray attaché case she had slung around her shoulder.

"I told you I needed these physically signed, not electronically, _before_ you left the office. I told you this three times yesterday and now I have a defense contractor in Germany up my butt because of you. You never listen to me."

"You look lovely today, Pep—"

"Save it. Just sign."

She jabbed a pen Tony's way and he quickly signed several forms before handing her back the pen.

"Lovely to meet you, Erik," Pepper said with a little bite in words. She stormed out of the restaurant.

"So…about her…"

"No need to explain to me," Erik said.

Another waiter approached the table.

"The Lobster and filet mignon for both of us. Medium. One dirty martini…two dirty martinis and a Shirley Temple—"

"Coke," Erik interjected putting down the menu. "I'll have the lobster bisque and glazed duck sliders too."

The waiter took the menus and Tony looked at Erik with humor in his eyes.

"How did you like the morning portion of the tour?"

"It was alright."

"Just alright? State of the art décor, cutting edge tech and all you give me is 'alright'?"

"It was cool, man. Whatchu want me to say? I ain't like them other dudes tripping over themselves to get next to you."

"Yeah, you turned down doing this internship twice…seriously…what do you really think?"

Erik took a sip of the soda the waiter brought over to him and sat back in his seat.

"I was impressed."

"Have you decided what department you want to be in?"

"Cybertech."

"Emphasis?"

"Biometrics."

"Good choice. Perfect for your interests. Who is your hotel roommate?"

"Tyler. The dude from Canada."

"Getting along?"

"He's quiet. Keeps to himself."

"When we move you all over to the Oakwood next week, do you want to keep him as a bunk buddy?"

"You can stick me with anybody—"

"No, you don't get just anybody. You are here for three months and I need all my interns focused at the office and not having problems at night."

"Stick me with whoever. I don't care. I'm here to learn and keep to myself."

"See, that's not how this works at Stark Industries. The lone wolf mentality is not conducive to below the line teamwork. I am building a future team. Ten people are going to be kept on, and I want you to be one of those ten. You have to get rid of this individual crusade you got going on."

"It's worked for me so far—"

"At Annapolis?"

Erik looked at his glass of soda.

"They break you down and build you up to be the Borg. I know the drill, Stevens. Cut the crap."

"You gotta stop separating me then."

"I will do that. This is just a little formality to make sure your head is straight."

"I'm straight—"

The lobster bisque and glazed duck sliders were set before Erik by a different waiter and he tucked in right away. By the time he had wolfed down his first course, the lobster and steak were in front of him, and he ate his meal in peace.

Tony sipped on his martinis and checked his cell from time to time. Erik ordered dessert, chocolate bread pudding with French vanilla bean ice cream. When they were finished, he followed Tony out to the valet stand.

"Do your best and your place here is assured, Stevens."

Erik nodded.

But he wasn't there to get a career. He was there to learn what he could use in the future. A future writ in his father's blood.

###

"Fuck."

Erik stood in the lobby of the Oakwood Apartment office staring at his cell phone.

Maria's name and picture stared back at him. They were partnered as roommates. Apartment key card in his hand, Erik rolled his large suitcase and duffle bag to the furnished upstairs unit he was assigned. It was near the pool and jacuzzi and Erik felt his mood sinking even lower because he knew this was going to be the party spot, and he didn't want to be around loud noises. He went back to the apartment office and tried to get re-assigned, but the woman there said there were to be no changes without Mr. Stark's approval. Erik already knew Tony did this to him on purpose. Stuck him with the most annoying person he had met so far.

When he tapped his key card to the entrance and stepped in, Maria was already standing in the middle of the living room with her three bags.

"Roomie!" she said.

He rolled his eyes at her and closed the door.

"I wanted to wait until you arrived so we could choose rooms."

"Whichever one doesn't face the pool."

"Cool! Because I want the other one that does!"

Maria took off to find her room. The good thing about the layout was that the bedrooms were opposite one another. He planned to spend as little time around her as possible.

Unpacking in the slow methodical way he had always done since he was a child, he took time to organize his living space and changed clothes. He was happy to be in a t-shirt and baggy jeans again. He grabbed the bottle of Gullah Red Rooster hot sauce he had wrapped in his suitcase. Slipping his feet into some comfy black slides, he headed into the kitchen to see what they had as far as cooking utensils.

Maria was already there digging in the cupboards.

"They have a rice cooker!" she squealed.

He nodded, happy that he didn't have to buy one. He was always eating rice. At least they had that one thing in common by the way she was pleased by the discovery.

"I cook a lot," she said.

"I do too."

She stared at him as if she didn't believe him. Cooking was something that was instilled into him early by his father. His Mom was a great cook, but his father was exceptional. It was a skill that was passed down to him, and he planned on using the kitchen a lot to get comfortable. If he had to suffer this living arrangement, he would at least eat well and stuff his pain with good food. He opened up the cupboard closest to the stove and stuck the hot sauce on the bottom shelf. Maria stared at him with a smile on her face.

"What?" he said glaring at her.

She held her hands out to him. A bottle of Louisiana's Finest sat in her palm. Erik couldn't help the smile that crept across his lips. She stepped next to him and placed her bottle next to his in the cupboard.

"Pedestrian," he said staring at her bottle.

"Look who's talking with that mild stuff you're depressing us with—"

"Mild?"

"Watered-down pepper sauce—"

"I know you not talking trash 'bout my Nana's shit—"

"Put up or shut up!"

They both grabbed their bottles and snatched spoons out of a kitchen drawer.

"You first," Maria said.

She opened up her fresh bottle and shook a drop onto the spoon. Erik took the spoon and stuck it into his mouth. A subtle smoky-sweet flavor, a slight tingling in his gums—

"Shit!" he said as his eyes watered and his mouth gaped open from the wicked heat.

Maria cackled. Once Erik could see again and his tongue prepped to create a new layer of skin for his burned off taste buds, Maria took his bottle and shook two drops on her spoon.

"Yo, you might wanna go easy—"

Maria stuck the spoon in her mouth with attitude. Three seconds later she was crying and sticking her mouth under the kitchen sink trying to wash away the taste.

"Told ya," Erik said watching her struggle. The sauce burned away the whites of her eyes turning them a watery red mess, and she kept panting as she rubbed her fingers across her tongue. After a full display of histrionics that Erik felt was overexaggerated, Maria leaned against the kitchen stove and wiped more tears from her face.

"You win," she said, her tongue stuck out for him to see.

"Don't bring no knife to a gunfight, girl," he said putting the bottles into the fridge.

"Keep that away from my stuff!"

He placed their sauces on separate shelves.

The rest of their time was spent at the kitchen table going over house rules. Mainly Erik's rules. No talking or loud noises before ten a.m. No house guests without two days' notice. Shared spaces had to be immaculate. No dishes left in the sink under any circumstances…clean as you go. No touching or eating another's food. Bathroom and toilet had to be cleaned daily. No traces of shaved hairs in the sink or bathtub. No hair ties or traces or hair after washing in the tub/shower. Phone conversations shouldn't be heard by a third party. Shoes off in the apartment at all times. Trash taken out every three days even if it wasn't full. No loud noises after nine at night. No smoking indoors unless it was weed.

Maria stared at the list he had emailed to her.

"You have anything to add?" he asked her staring at his own cell.

"Am I allowed to breathe or fart at any time?"

Erik quirked his lips at her and she giggled.

"Can we play music?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just be cognizant of the other person if they are working on something. Use headphones at appropriate times."

"Have you always been this anal?"

"Anal?"

"I know military training is imprinted on you, but jeez dude—"

"I just want to keep the peace. I need order and cleanliness, Ma. For reals. I can't stand living with nasty ass people. Can you deal?"

"I can deal."

They heard music blaring from outside. Maria jumped up and ran to their tiny balcony window throwing back the drapes.

"People are out at the jacuzzi already. We should go down!"

Erik let out an exasperated sigh.

"You are such an old man! Lighten up, Erik. God, I love this song!"

Maria grabbed his hand and dragged him out the front door.

Five interns sat inside the jacuzzi while an additional ten stood around with beers in their hand. Someone already made a beer run? They all wore swimsuits.

Erik glanced around. No Giselle or Curtis.

"Hey look, it's Stark's boy!"

Wesley Bretts. Boston. New money. Ultra redneck vibes masked under an upper-middle-class persona. Trouble.

"I ain't nobody's boy," Erik said with a little thunder behind his tone.

"No harm no foul, man. Just pointing out your favored status."

Wesley grinned with perfect bleached teeth and a phony all-shucks demeanor. Erik could feel all eyes on him again. He was younger than everyone else there, but he wasn't about to let no Boston bum talk to him any ole kind of way. Erik sauntered over and stood toe to toe with him.

"Watch how you talk to me and there won't be no problems in this bitch—"

"Hey, Erik, have a beer," Maria said.

She grabbed one from one of the women there and shoved it into his chest. Someone splashed water on Wesley from the jacuzzi and he wrenched his eyes from Erik's.

"You are so in trouble for that!" Wesley said dropping down into the jacuzzi and splashing water back at a blonde who had her eyes on Erik.

Erik opened the tab on his beer and gulped down the bitter brew.

"He's a dick. Ignore him," another blonde said to him. Her smile was sincere.

"I'm Hayley, that's Irene and Valentina—"

Erik took in their names and faces. Maria introduced herself to them and he stood there feeling uncomfortable, wishing he had stayed inside the apartment. If he couldn't get through a beer bash at an impromptu party, he was going to be on struggle mode the rest of his time there. Better to man up and push through the dumb shit.

"You and I will be under the same project manager," Valentina said.

"What?" he said tuning into her face.

Valentina was a raven-haired beauty with the lightest milky blue eyes he had ever seen up close. They almost looked fake. Her dark hair and tanned skin made her look Mediterranean. She stood out among the bleached blondes and suspect red-heads in the bunch.

She held up her cell to him.

"The team list was just posted," she said. Her smile was genuine and Erik felt himself lighten up a bit.

"Ohmigosh, I'm with you guys!"

Maria gave a little jump. Why was she so excited about every little thing? She held her phone up to Erik. He took it from her hand and scanned the other names. He found Giselle listed with a design and innovations team. He wondered where she was staying in the complex. Why couldn't he be living with her? Or teamed up with her at the office?

Other interns began showing up at the pool and the noise level rose. He was about to excuse himself when he saw Giselle walking into the pool area with a big Swede named Roland. She was caught up in an intense convo with him, and when her eyes caught Erik's, she waved but kept right on talking to Roland.

"See you guys," Valentina said.

"Where you going?" he asked, curious to know her since they would be around each other for three months.

"The pool is heated," she said, "we're getting in."

"We should go get our swimsuits," Maria said clutching his arm. Erik watched Giselle pull off the shorts and shirt she had on revealing a red string bikini underneath that had heads turning.

"Bet," he said. He followed Maria back to the apartment. He threw on an old pair of OP trunks and grabbed a towel from the bathroom.

"Whoa," Maria said when she saw him. Her eyes flitted up and down his body, "You must work out…a lot," she said.

He saw her cheeks turn a little red. He looked at her green one piece. She had a cute shape although she slouched a bit like she was trying to hide her little round body. A swimsuit that worked with her curves instead of against them would probably help her confidence.

"Maybe I should forget the pool," she mumbled throwing her towel around her shoulders and covering most of her body.

"You suggested this, so now we're going," he said.

He headed toward the door and she hesitated following him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Now you wanna be shy all of sudden?"

"Look how you're built. Did you see Valentina's body? Giselle's?"

God yes, he saw their bodies, and he played it off like he didn't, looking hella slick while doing it too.

"Stop trippin' girl. You got a cute shape. Go show it off. Thick thighs save lives too."

Maria started laughing.

"Wait…you think I have a cute shape? You're not just saying that to be nice right? I shouldn't care because men always make women feel like shit if they don't meet some ridiculous beauty standard, but this is real life and I have to deal with this bullshit even if I don't want to."

"I'm not going to lie to you. You really do have a cute shape. Cute face too."

"Thank you. I do think you're lying, but if I walk out with you, they won't notice my frumpy—"

"Listen. If we are going to be on the same team, I can't be with someone who has no confidence. Fake it 'til you make it, Ma. C'mon. Don't be dragging me down with your poor self-image. I'm telling you…you look fine. Act like it or else stay in the apartment. My Nana always told me that a closed mouth don't get fed. So if you want to make a good impression, get out there, mix and mingle and stop worrying about how you look. Let these bitches know who they fuckin' with."

"Easy for you to say when you look like a Greek Adonis and have the brain of an Einstein."

"African Adonis. And better than Einstein. Get it right."

He opened the front door and he felt her rush behind him.

"I'm sticking with you if that's okay," she said.

"When have you not?" he said while locking their front door.


	4. Chapter 4

**_"He's got infinite possibilities  
I can see them now  
It's the unbroken chains of his past by which he's bound  
He's got infinite possibilities  
I can feel them now  
If he chooses well, then nothing can tear him down_**

**_Peace of mind  
Is not easy for him to find  
And he's walkin' a thinner line  
In a place where another man is keeping his time  
Though he's young  
He's not like everyone  
He sees what he's become  
And he'd rather be standing in the sun…"_**

**_Amel Larrieux – _"Infinite Possibilities"**

Erik ended up staying longer than he thought he would. He even enjoyed himself. Maria and Valentina stuck with him and he found that he had a lot more in common with them than he first suspected. Any trepidation he had with Maria being on his team disappeared. She was sharp as a tack. And thoughtful. Her detail-oriented personality let him know that she was there to put in work. He was glad he hung out with her. Curtis showed up and Erik was happy not to be the only Black guy present.

Valentina, on the other hand, was something else. She was determined to be in the final ten Stark chose at the end of the three months. Erik believed she would be. While Maria was detail-oriented, Valentina leaned toward the big picture. She had a visionary mind. She discussed problems with the current state of biometrics and they fell in line with Erik's concerns on the use of it in marginalized communities. They spent the rest of the evening drinking more beer and sharing their interview stories.

Erik kept his eye on Giselle, but she didn't talk to him very much. She was on a mission to network. He didn't see her drink anything while she was there. She did stick around Roland and he noticed several times that her arm candy kept touching her hand or the small of her back when they moved around the pool together. So that's what was up with her. Erik tried to figure out what he lacked to get her attention. His age? His color? His coarse edge? Maybe he came off too stand-offish. He had enough alcohol in his system to smooth his rough edges, or at least he felt that way. He was laughing a lot and going out of his way to meet new people now. Each time he tried to get next to her, she was off to the next group of interns and he finally gave up.

Things were going well until Wesley decided to pick at Erik again. Someone had brought a cooler filled with artisanal beers, and Erik was reaching for a cider ale when Wesley and two other male interns surrounded him.

Erik popped open his ale and took a sip trying to figure out where things were headed.

"Guess you'll be lunching with Stark a lot more?" Wesley asked.

"Nah," Erik said, still sizing up the situation.

"We heard you complained to Stark and got some good people kicked out."

"You heard wrong," Erik said, feeling his jawline tighten.

"No, we heard right. One of the people whose life you ruined is a good friend of mine. Not cool."

"I ain't do shit," Erik said stepping closer to Wesley.

"One phone call to my Dad and this is the end of the road for you _homie_."

Wesley's two buddies snickered.

Erik rolled his neck. It was always some stupid white boy who insisted on testing Erik when all he wanted to do was work his thing in peace. It was like that during high school, Annapolis, and now at Stark Industries. As his Grandpop always said, ofays stayed irritating Black folks for no reason. Just cause. Erik studied Wesley and his pals. Were they bored? Jealous? Pissed that their friends had faced consequences for the first time? Consequences dealt out by a powerful white man they thought was on their side? Erik's father was always the diplomat in their family, but he had too much of his Mama in him to go that route tonight. Wesley moved in closer and Erik saw the man's finger come up to shove him in his chest. Before that pissy white finger touched him, Erik cold-cocked Wesley in the face with his right fist and the crowd watched him fall back into the pool. Out cold.

"He's knocked out!"

The scream came from Wesley's friend and Erik laughed at him because his voice sounded so shrill and cartoonish. The other friend jumped into the pool to save Wesley from drowning. Erik sipped his ale and walked over to the jacuzzi.

There was a frenzy of people scrambling to help Wesley, and Erik watched the man's lax body revive once he was dragged out of the deep end of the pool. He looked punch drunk and confused as to how he came to be in the water.

Valentina gave out a husky drunken laugh next to Erik in the jacuzzi while Maria watched the drama with a hand over her mouth. He watched Giselle shake her head at Wesley and when her eyes met Erik's for one of the rare times she looked at him all night, she threw up her hands as if to say "What the fuck?"

He waved for her to come to the jacuzzi, but she followed Roland out of the pool area as he helped assist Wesley to his apartment.

"What a prick," Valentina said. She tipped her bottle of beer to clink with Erik's New England pale ale.

"You think he's okay?" Maria asked.

"Fuck him," Erik said. He wasn't sure, but he felt like he had slurred his words. He had a good buzz but didn't think he was that drunk.

"You hit him so hard," she said.

"Knocked him out of his flip flops," Curtis said jumping into the jacuzzi and handing Erik a fresh ale. They all started laughing when they saw Wesley's flip flops lying by the side of the pool. No one bothered to pick them up for him.

"You sent that fool flying!" Curtis yelped.

"They stay testing," Erik said.

"Betcha he won't do that again," Curtis said.

They sat in the jacuzzi until one by one and in groups of twos and threes people departed. The shindig ended. In the final count, Erik and Maria were the only ones left. It was past ten.

"Despite Wesley, today was a good day," Maria said. She sat up out of the jacuzzi to cool down. Her ink-black hair was slicked back and it gave her face a sophisticated look. She really was cute. Sexy cute. Good girl possible freak-nasty cute. The ale was really making him wavy now. Maria went from annoying to a mini snack in four hours. He must've been really feeling his buzz. Bone deep at that point.

"You feel more confident?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. Valentina is hella cool—"

"Please, don't try to talk like me—"

"Okay, Pa—"

"That's not how that works. Just stop."

She kicked water at him and he grabbed her foot and pushed her back. She laughed and pulled her foot away.

"I think we have a good team," she said. She drank from her bottle of beer.

"I agree."

"You think there will be blowback from Wesley?"

"Nah. We've all been drinking. Letting out steam. He'll get over it."

"I'm surprised Giselle didn't hang out with us."

"She's all up in Roland's ass."

"He is gorgeous—"

"Every tall blonde ain't gorgeous—"

"I beg to differ."

"Keep begging then."

She kicked water at him again.

"You want to get punched too?" he teased.

"You would hit a girl?"

"Whatchu think?"

"Yeah, you would."

"I mean if she had it coming…I mean really had it coming—"

"Are you serious?"

He rolled his eyes. She looked over his shoulder.

"Wesley's flip flops are still there!" she said.

They both belly-laughed until they had cramps in their stomachs. It took a few moments in their drunken stupor to stop having giggle fits over a pair of orphaned plastic sandals.

"I saw that dude Holden talking to you. Looks like you two were hitting it off."

Maria's face grew bashful.

"Uh oh, a love connection," Erik said grinning at her.

"I don't know…maybe…"

"He likes you, right?"

"Yeah. I like him too. He's smart and funny and he loves Attack on Titan just as much as I do…"

Her voice faded and she took another drink from her beer.

"So…w'sup?" he asked. His skin felt too hot and he lifted up to sit on the top step of the jacuzzi.

Her eyes dropped down and she put her beer bottle down.  
"Maria?"

"Don't laugh okay?"

"Laugh at what?"

"I don't want you giving me weird looks—"

He kicked water her way.

"Spit it out, girl. Before I fall asleep."

The water made him drowsy. He was ready to head back to the apartment.

"This is the beer talking because I am very drunk right now, but I'm twenty-one and I'm still a virgin. I haven't even kissed a guy. Ever."

Erik stared at her for a long while. Maria closed her eyes and waited for him to say something. When he didn't, she opened her eyes back up and stared at him.

"Well?" she said, her voice shy.

"Well, what?"

"Go ahead and make fun of me. I can see it in your eyes."

"I don't know what you think you see in my eyes, but I'm not going to make fun of you. You're a virgin. Never kissed a guy…so what?"

"C'mon dude—"

"C'mon what?"

"No guy wants to be with someone who doesn't know what they're doing. That's not sexy—"

"Actually, it kinda is. There are still dudes who want to be the first to hit it…and quit it—"

Maria rolled her eyes and folded her hands across her chest, her breath huffy, and her face looking disappointed in his answer.

"I'm playing, girl. Ain't nothing wrong with not having experience. If y'all like each other, that's all that matters."

"He was holding my hand when we were sitting over by the pool chairs, and he leaned over to kiss me and I froze up. I started drinking my beer and the moment was lost. My first kiss and I blew it because I was so nervous to do it. And that was just a kiss."

"It ain't like you have to jump in bed with dude. Take your time. You got yourself all worked up for nothing."

"Easy for you to say. You have experience."

"How you know that? I could be a virgin and unkissed too. You don't know—"

"With those lips and that body?"

He laughed.

"See!" she said.

He laughed harder and her face fell.

"Okay…okay…I'm sorry for laughing at you. You just look so crestfallen and I promise you it's not that serious."

He slipped down into the jacuzzi and waded over to her. Her face was still twisted up in a hard grimace. He stood in front of her and pushed her thighs open, pulling her hips closer to the edge of the jacuzzi. Her eyes widened and he saw her chest quicken with extra deep breaths as she gazed up at his face.

"It's simple," he said cradling the back of her neck, "just put your lips on him like this."

He pressed his full lips into her soft mouth and let it linger a moment. He felt her trembling and when he released her, her eyes were still closed.

"See? There you have it. Your very first kiss," he said.

His eyes caught movement in his periphery.

Shit.

"Giselle!" he called out watching the one person he wanted to spend time with walk away from him with quick steps out of the pool gate.

He turned to look back at Maria.

"Erik, I don't feel—"

A stream of vomit flew from Maria's mouth onto his chest and into the jacuzzi.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Giselle! I need help!" he called out.


	5. Chapter 5

"_**If at first you don't succeed  
Dust yourself off, and try again  
You can dust it off and try again, try again  
Cause if at first you don't succeed  
Dust yourself off, and try again  
You can dust it off and try again, dust yourself off and try again, try again**_

_**I'm into you, you into me? But I can't let it go, so easily.  
Not 'till I see, where this could be, could be eternally, or just week.  
You know our chemistry, it's off the chain.  
It's perfect now, but will it change?  
This ain't a yes, this ain't a no.  
Just do your thang, and we'll see how it goes…"**_

_**Aaliyah - **_**"Try Again"**

"I'm soooo sorry!" Maria wailed as Giselle held back her hair as she continued to wretch into the bathroom toilet once they were secure in their shared domain. Eventually, Giselle was able to get Maria cleaned up and into her own room.

Erik made an anonymous phone call to the complex manager to let them know there were chunks floating in the jacuzzi and that the entire area needed to be drained and disinfected. He showered and brushed his teeth in the bathroom and threw their swimsuits into the apartment washer to be cleaned. He scrubbed the toilet and sink with Lysol. Twice.

"Erik was just trying to help me not be a virgin, and then I just threw up—"

"That's not what was happening," Erik stressed to Giselle when he went back to check on them. Maria's head was bent over a wastebasket on the side of her bed. She held a small clear trash bag in her hand. There were several laid out next to her on the bed.

"I wanted to kiss Holden, but I've never kissed anyone before, and Erik was showing me how to not be nervous about kissing, and then I…bwwerppp—"

Erik had to leave Maria's bedroom once her vomiting came back full force. After an hour passed, Maria was well enough to brush her teeth again and throw away all the trash bags she had used. Erik sat in the living room wondering what Giselle was thinking.

"I put her to bed with several more trash bags near her head in case she can't reach the bathroom. You might want to check on her to make sure she doesn't vomit in her sleep. You look a hot mess too," Giselle said.

"I wasn't trying to be her first. All I did was give her a peck on the lips to help her—"

Giselle held up a hand.

"I got the entire story."

Erik let out a heavy sigh of relief. Giselle plopped down next to him on the couch.

"What a night," she said.

"Tell me about it."

"Did you really have to punch Wesley?"

Erik's face turned hard.

"He came at me wrong."

"He only did that to get a rise out of you and you fell right into his trap. You have to act a lot more mature if you're going to do well here, Erik."

His age.

That's what was turning her off from him. And damn if he didn't act like a young knucklehead in front of her by knocking the shit out of Wesley. Right out of his chanclas. The giggle fits started again and he couldn't help himself.

"What is so funny?"

Her expression was so perplexed that he knew he had no chance with her. And that made him laugh more.

"I knocked that nigga straight outta his flip flops!"

They could hear Maria from her bedroom laughing loudly with him again.

"Both of you need to sleep this off," Giselle said standing up and heading for the front door.

Erik grabbed his cell and stuffed it in the back pocket of his jeans.

"Hold up, I'll walk you back to your apartment," he said stepping into his slides once more.

"I made it over here on my own. I can make it back by myself."

"I'm coming with you anyway," he said.

She didn't speak to him as he walked with her. The cool air cleared his head and he resigned himself to being a non-entity with Giselle. She wasn't vibing with him at all and it was just as well since she thought he was immature. And probably horny too after catching him kiss Maria.

Giselle's apartment was far away from his own and that was just another sign.

"Why did you come back over?" he asked.

His question caught her off guard. They stood in front of her apartment door. She lived in a first- floor unit. Her eyes avoided his face.

"You're not going to answer my question?"

Giselle finally looked him in the eye.

"I just came back to see if you were okay. You and Maria were drinking a lot, and still in the jacuzzi when everyone left."

"You were worried about me."

Erik smiled and moved a little closer to her, trying to get his flirt on. She stepped back from him.

"It's not a good look to be the sloppy drunk at a mixer."

"We weren't the only ones—"

"But you're not white. You stand out. Everyone is already watching your every move because of what Mr. Stark said at the first orientation. Be smart about your shit, Erik."

"Maybe I should hang around people like Roland," he said with a bit of sarcasm tinged in his voice.

"Maybe you should."

"I was trying to hang with you but you kept ignoring me."

"I wasn't ignoring you—"

"Yes, you were. Every time I walked over to you, you left me hanging like I had the plague. I thought we were cool—"

"We are cool—"

"Nah, you weren't feeling me at all. You even left with Roland."

"I went to make sure Wesley was okay and that you wouldn't get into any trouble. You could've really hurt him, Erik. Killed him—"

"I swear y'all act more worried about these assholes—"

Erik tried to catch himself before he really went off. He could feel his quick anger rising in his chest.

"Then don't act like an ass yourself—"

"Oh…so I'm the ass for checking a lil bitch coming at me for no reason? Fuck outta here—"

"Why do you get worked up so fast? Chill, nigga," she said.

"I'm not getting worked up!" he shouted, irritated that she was talking to him like he was some random hood boy.

"I know you not tryna get loud with me because we can go there!"

Erik's neck tilted to the side. The Baltimore was coming out of her when she clapped her hands at him like she was ready to throw down. That cultivated and polite intern she displayed earlier had switched up real quick. He liked this version of Giselle. This one right here was making his dick chub up. There was something about a woman who didn't back down from him that got him excited fast.

"Let's go there then!"

He came at her full-throated and took up all the space between them, nudging her back against her apartment door.

"You wanna be a mouthy bitch, then be about it!" he demanded.

His eyes narrowed and he felt his nostrils flare. His dick was hard as granite and pressing deep into his jeans, aiming right at her. His hormones were all over the place just being next to her. She breathed heavily aware that she couldn't move past him with her body blocked by his. He was taller too, and his face was right down next to hers. He was ready to fuck or fight this woman.

"All I wanted to do was talk to you all night," he whispered to her.

She didn't push him away when he let his body brush against hers. His erection touched her hip and her eyes dropped down to look at the hard bulge in his pants. She closed her eyes and let her head tilt back until it was touching the door.

"I'm not here for this, Erik."

"I think you came back to see me for this. But then you saw me kiss Maria. Tell me I'm right about that. That's why you left. You thought I was hooking up with her and got mad."

Giselle's eyes looked away from his once more and he smiled.

"Running around in that bikini knowing I was watching you. You were tryin' to get my dick hard for you. Admit it."

"A lot of people were wearing bikinis, Erik. I wasn't wearing it to show off just for you. Be serious."

She still wouldn't look at him, but he felt her hip grinding against his stiffness.

"We can handle this right now," he said allowing his hands to drop down and grip her waist.

Her mouth parted slightly and he could only think about kissing those lips that he had been pining away for all week. Every time she spoke to him about the most mundane things at the Stark offices, he could only daydream about being alone with her. She had no idea how badly he wanted to hold her…touch her all over…let his lips drift over hers and down her body. It was torture for him to watch her stick to Roland's side, her soft skin pressed next to the dull flesh of a man unworthy of her brains and beauty. It irked the shit out of him that she wouldn't even sit next to him in the jacuzzi for a few minutes but was willing to swim with Roland for over an hour. But here she was now, almost panting with him so close to her. He could see she was mentally fighting her attraction to him, doing her best to keep from looking at his eyes directly. His unfiltered desire was reflected there.

"Take me to your room," he urged, letting his head dip down to her neck. He kissed her there, his soft lips lingering, waiting for her to consent to whatever she would allow him to do for her. He would eat her pussy, suck her toes, lick her ass cheeks…whatever she wanted he was down for. Maybe she would let him pull her braids while he hit it hard and deep from the back…

"Let's just keep our relationship professional," she finally whispered back to him.

He closed his eyes with disappointment. His Baltimore babe was curving him. He was going to have to walk back to his apartment with a nine-inch boner cutting into the denim of his pants.

"Fuck," he said. He didn't mean to say it out loud in front of her, but he was upset. She had him worked up and would have him worked up all summer more than likely. Maybe she was saving herself for that boring white boy Roland.

"You should go back and look in on Maria."

_You should play with my dick._

He wanted to say that to her. He wasn't above begging at that point. He dreaded walking back carrying all that hard weight between his legs.

"Can I use your restroom at least?" he asked.

Her eyes looked suspicious of his motives.

"Lemme take a piss and get this shit down. You want me walking in on Maria like this?"

Giselle laughed and opened her apartment door. The layout was the same as his and he went straight to the bathroom.

He lifted up the toilet seat and gripped his shit, aiming it for the center. His nutsack was tight, and urinating wasn't helping to relieve his problem. He had to step back and tilt his hips and penis to keep from peeing on the seat and the floor. Taking a piss was always tough with a hard-on and he had difficulty voiding his bladder with his urethra pinched tight from all the blood engorged down there.

Flushing the toilet, he scrubbed his hands clean with her scented mango liquid soap.

"Who are you roommates with?" he called out when he heard her in the living room.

"I don't have one yet," she said.

"Yet? How did that happen?"

"My roommate is coming later next week. Late arrival to the internship."

"Lucky," he muttered.

He adjusted his dick, but his erection wouldn't go away.

"You okay in there?" she called to him.

"Give me a minute…damn. You got my shit standing at attention. It doesn't just go away like that."

He was annoyed with her now. He heard her turn on the tv. Waiting patiently for his penis to relax, he tried thinking of things that would deflate the problem. All his thoughts were of Giselle's warm frame against his.

He was going to have to work it out the only way he knew how.

He unfastened his jeans and let them fall to his knees. Pulling down his boxer briefs he released his erection and watched the turgid deep brown flesh bob in front of the bathroom sink. Three small pearls of pre-cum seeped from his slit and he used his fingers to slide it around his tip until it glistened with more that dripped out of him.

His left hand held onto the sink as his right hand gripped the underside of his fat mushroom cap. Veins were already swelling on the top and underside of his rigid manhood. The tension of the night needed an immediate release. And if he had to nut in Giselle's sink to reach equilibrium, that's what the fuck he was going to do.

He started pumping his fist, pissed that he was rutting into his own hand instead of Giselle's. He hadn't had pussy since he left D.C. He thought for sure he would get some after visiting his Grandpop in Oakland before flying down to Los Angeles, but that trip had been filled with visits to extended family and friends and he had no time to roam his old stomping grounds. Even his favorite babe Sauda, who he had been fucking in the East Bay since he was sixteen, was out of town. He needed to get his dick wet, or sucked, or jerked off. And he wanted Giselle to do it.

The spank bank in his mind thought of her in that red crochet bikini, small titties sitting high, slender hips unable to hide the mini donk she slung on that back. She had a deceiving figure, lean and athletic looking from the front, but the moment she turned around…all bets were off. Visions of her sliding in and out of the heated pool flitted through his brain. Water rolling off of her skin made her glisten like the perfect wet dream. He could see himself untying that bikini top, freeing her breasts for his tongue and pliant lips. He could also see himself wrapping those strong legs of hers around his hips while he fucked her in the water, yanking on those dark ropes of hair that dripped down her back. He would serve her that good dick, let that B-more pussy get stretched out wide by some Oaktown pipe.

"Oh…shit…" he mumbled, curling his lips to try and keep noise to a minimum. He touched the base of his dick and could feel the pulse of his entire body rooted down there. His fingers slid back up and circled his frenulum, twisting the sensitive flesh until he could feel his toes bunching up in his slides.

"Are you okay-?"

Giselle stepped into the bathroom and watched him beat off over her sink. The lustful heat in his eyes sought out relief in hers. He was turned on, even more, staring at her in the mirror as he worked his thick shaft.

"Got me in here doing this," he hissed at her, no shame in his stroke game as he fisted himself harder, his dick swelling between his slick fingers. A long clear string of pre-cum oozed down onto her sink and he groaned.

Giselle rested her chin on his shoulder and watched his face as his jaw went lax. Her left hand snaked around his waist and lifted up his t-shirt so she could see the muscles in his chest and abs. Her thumb and index finger pulled his nipple and his breath hitched. Her right hand reached around and gripped his dick for him. He released it and let her jerk him off.

"Fuck…Erik…you're so thick…so hot to the touch," she gasped.

Her fingers and palm squeezed and twisted his dick, molding themselves around him like they were supposed to be there all the time. He squeezed his balls and her eyes stared down at the heft he held there for her. She pressed her midsection into him and he reached back to hold onto her ass.

"You gon' make me bust," he huffed, "go a little faster, baby…yeah…faster…make me cum girl."

She pinched his nipple hard and they both watched his dick shoot out thick streams of semen all over her sink.

"Keep going…I got more…I got more!"

She fisted him harder and his thick ejaculate fell in loud plops onto the lip of the sink.

"Erik…"

"Fuck!" he yelled when a final spurt shot out and coated a glass cup that held a brand-new toothbrush.

Giselle's hand was drenched with his cum. She squeezed her arms around his waist not even caring about the mess he had made all over her bathroom. There was even semen on the floor.

Erik took a deep shuddery breath and then ran water in the sink to clean his hands. Giselle handed him a clean washcloth and helped him clean up her bathroom. When things were back in order and pristine once more, she finally looked him in the eye. He could tell she was turned on by him. What he wouldn't give to slip his fingers into her panties and pluck at the bud that had to be tingling between her thighs. He wanted to drop to his knees and pull down her shorts. Plant his face and tongue in her folds.

"I thought maybe you had gotten sick," she said.

"Sure you did," he said with a smirk on his face.

"Seriously, I did—"

"So that was keeping our relationship professional?"

"I still want that."

"You can have that, and a little bit more," he said. He stepped in to kiss her and she closed the distance, her lips crashing into his. His age meant nothing to her now because she eagerly suckled his tongue. He dropped the fingers of his right hand down to brush across her mound hidden behind her thin polyester shorts. She was warm down there, the heat from between her legs causing his dick to jump again. He pressed his fingers into the material knowing he was hitting her clit with the gentle circles he gave her there.

"You real wet right now, huh?" he asked.

Her glassy-eyed stare told him she was dripping. He was going to enjoy teasing her until she was begging for his dick. The way she was squirming on his hand, he knew it wouldn't take long. He pushed into her clit harder making his circular motions more intense. She was moaning and widening her thighs for him. He was ready to play all in her pussy but he felt his cell vibrate in his pocket.

"Maria?" Giselle asked as she reached for his chest.

"Shit," he muttered as he looked at the screen. He brushed her hands away. Walking out of her bathroom he answered his phone.

"It has become apparent that you need adult supervision, Stevens."

Giselle could hear Tony's aggravated voice from his phone.

"I just got a call from Congressman Bretts in Washington, in the middle of the goddamn night yelling at me that his son was assaulted under my watch. Are you really trying to sabotage your career before you even have one?"

"That was all on him—"

"I want to see you in my office first thing in the morning. Eight sharp. We need to discuss if you can handle being here…or not."

The call ended abruptly.

Giselle heard every single word.

"Blowback," Erik whispered to her.

He left Giselle's apartment ready to pack up and head back to Oakland.

Fuck Wesley.

Fuck his daddy too.

And fuck Stark Industries.


	6. Chapter 6

"_**Why are you selling dreams of who you wish you could be**__**  
**__**A prince in all of the magazines**__**  
**__**They'd have no words for the man I've seen**__**  
**__**Talk real fast 'fore they see your face**_

_**And would they love you if they knew all the things we know**__**  
**__**We've got these images**__**  
**__**We need them to be true**__**  
**__**Not ready to believe we're no more insecure than you…"**_

_**Res – **_**"Golden Boys"**

Erik wore his expensive suit again when he sat in the foyer of Stark's office. Tony's secretary Devika eyed him from time to time. She offered him water and juice to drink but he sat on the foyer couch rigid, muscles ready to spring and take him far away from Stark Industries and Los Angeles. His suitcase and duffle bag sat right next to his left leg.

"The restroom is over there if you need to use it," Devika said. She let her chin rest on her hand, her dark dewy skin looked radiant. Working for Tony must've been great for her.

"I'm good."

His voice came out gruff. Devika's eyes went back to her computer.

"I'm cool, just chillin," he said in a softer tone.

Devika's dark brown eyes watched him. She glanced down at his bags.

The door of Tony's office swung open and four of the intern project managers walked out. Erik's project manager, Yuri Deetz, stepped out last. When he caught Erik's eye, he gave a weak smile to him as Tony swept into the foyer.

"Erik Stevens is here," Devika said.

Tony glanced at his watch and then his eyes planted themselves on Erik's face. He walked over to Erik and stood in front of him, folding his arms across his chest. Erik kept his own stare steady. Face hard. He wasn't backing down over no bullshit white boy.

Tony looked as if he was going to spill a lecture, but then he glanced at his watch again.

"Come with me," he said.

Erik stood and followed Tony to a private elevator. On the ride down, Tony stayed quiet and Erik just stood in silence too. The ride down to a mid-level floor had Erik keeping a swift pace with Tony's stride. Passing through several security checkpoints, they arrived inside a cutting-edge computer lab. Erik's eyes marveled at the hardware and Stark employees programming with software that was never going to fall into the hands of the general public. Not even the military.

"Hi, Janine, this is Erik Stevens, one of the new interns…"

Tony stood next to a red-faced programmer with piercing gray eyes who leaned against a specialized programmer's desk and stared at Erik.

"Stevens…you programmed some Sandex code to be a placeholder for Yang's new software," she said.

"Yeah," Erik said. Janine's eyes stared him down and their intensity made him nervous. He glanced at her expansive four-dimensional screen.

"How's that working out for you?" he asked, recognizing the AmDX7 computer language that was all the rage in certain programming circles.

Janine glanced over at her screen. A simulated biometric passport glowed before them and she enlarged it.

"Trying to figure out a way to keep data secure from RFID tech is proving to be quite a task. We want to be the first on the market with full-proof E-Passports, but the problem is—"

"Many national identity cards aren't ICAO9358 compliant, and a lot of countries don't want a universal chip," Erik said.

Janine smiled. She looked over at Tony.

"Can I keep him?" she asked.

"I'll pick him up at dinner time," Tony said.

"Pull up a seat," Janine said.

She didn't have to tell Erik twice.

###

Rubbing his eyes, Erik leaned back in the computer chair and took a moment to rest his brain. Ten hours straight he had been at Janine's desk coding for her, skipping lunch and dinner in the cafeteria. The regular staff was already gone for the dinner break, and Erik was left to be supervised by Janine's assistant Manuj and four other programmers. Janine's crew oversaw all of Stark Industries' facial, fingerprint, and iris recognition technology.

This is where Erik wanted to be. Stark was so far ahead in the future with biometrics that Erik felt confident that everything he learned in this department would secure his future. Technology changed at an extreme pace, but to be with a company that shaped future tech would bode well for him at this time. Learning the pitfalls of cybersecurity would help him devise ways to hack it when he needed to. A day would come when he would have to go into Africa…East Africa in particular…Wakanda to be exact. He needed to find ways to circumvent some of the tech that his father showed him before he was murdered. And if Wakanda really was that far ahead of the world, the lab he sat in at that moment was the start of his preparation to defeat it.

"Janine said for you to go home and be back here tomorrow at seven. We've sent you some time-sensitive cheat codes to help get you to speed. Read them over tonight and be ready to rock and roll again in the morning. Good work, Stevens," Manuj said heading back to his desk on the other side of the room.

Erik stood up and put on his suit jacket. Ten hours and not one word from Tony—

"There he is."

Tony walked in wearing a totally different suit from the one he had on that morning. Formal. Black. With a bow tie.

"I was told to come back here in the morning," Erik said.

"Well, Janine must really like you. She doesn't like very many people. Good on you."

Erik just stared at Tony.

"I thought we were going to talk this morning—"

"You sat in that chair for over ten hours, without a break I was told and did what you love to do. You want to be here—"

"What about Wesley?"

"What about him? His dad is just a Congressman. Who fucking feels threatened by a Congressman? A Senator…maybe a little concern. Let's go. There's a party at my house tonight and we are going to be late if we don't get you dressed to impress."

"My stuff is still—"

"Your bags are back in your apartment. Maria made sure it went in your room. We have about thirty minutes to get you some new threads before we go to mi casa su casa."

Erik grinned.

"You really think I would cut you loose just because you punched a drunk asshole? You know how many times I have punched people…or been the asshole? I brought you to Janine so you would know what you are here for. She's your new project manager. And she wants to know who else on your old team you want to bring over with you. So, if you could pick only two people to ride with you—"

"Valentina and Maria."

"Nice. Let's go."

Tony's Lagonda Vision was waiting for him in the parking garage with his personal valet standing watch over the car. Tony opened up the moon roof and the Cali air blew in.

"Tonight, I think we'll put you in Hugo Boss," Tony said glancing at Erik.

They drove into Beverly Hills and Tony ushered Erik into a Boss shop where Tony paid for a brand new tuxedo, shirt and bow tie for him. The shop owner threw in some free boxer briefs and dress socks to be nice. The tuxedo didn't even have a price tag on it. None of the suits did.

"I've been in an office all day. I need to clean up," Erik said.

"I already have toiletries at the house. Never opened. I've got you covered. And if we hurry, you will have time to shower and shave."

The PCH was packed and by the time they reached Tony's Malibu "house", hired valets and caterers were already looking after people in the ultra-luxury mansion overlooking a high sea bluff. They slipped into the mansion through a back entrance and Tony took Erik up to a private guest suite where he could shower and change.

Pepper was already hounding Tony when he arrived complaining that she had to entertain too many people without him being there as the real host.

Tony had everything he needed for Erik to get ready, and within twenty minutes, Erik was showered, suited and booted. He had trouble with the bowtie. He stuffed it in his pocket and made his way down several stairs looking for the party spot. Over one hundred people were already in the home and Erik found Tony standing next to a group of attractive white women who hung onto his every word.

"Kid, ya gotta wear the tie to complete the look, excuse me, ladies…"

Tony ushered Erik to the side and helped him tie the bow correctly.  
"I thought I looked suave without the tie," Erik said.

"No…no you didn't."

Tony stood back and admired his handiwork.

"You look good, kiddo."

Erik nodded.

"Stick next to me a learn something," Tony said moving back into the crowd.

The man was smooth. Memory impeccable. He knew names and nicknames and greeted each person with enthusiasm. When there was a break in the mingling and Tony sipped a bit of white wine, Erik could finally talk to him.

"What is this party for?"

"Some investors in the lower-tiered companies I own. I throw them a shindig every now and then to make them feel special. Let them know that no matter how global I am, I always remember the little guy. It's once a year and it makes me look peachy."

"Gotcha."

"I will allow you a glass of wine here…hey…one glass of wine," Tony said as Erik put one of the wine glasses back on a server's tray as they swept past him.

Two chic blondes walked over to Tony, red wine in their hands as they fawned over him.

"My, my, my," Tony whispered as his eyes took in the décolletage on their dresses that highlighted their fake breasts. The only things that weren't plastic on them were the leather heels on their feet.

"This is my assistant, Erik Stevens," Tony said. Erik went along with the ruse and watched Tony maneuver his way to the other side of the room without the women realizing he was dumping them.

"Does this ever get old?" Erik asked.

"Here in Malibu, yes. I'll take you to my European digs and you can see how the Euro Trash party crowd changes everything," Tony said winking.

"I'll hold you to that," Erik said.

Later in the evening, Tony gave a speech to the crowd touting the growth of the companies he owned and highlighted the party-goers fatter bank statements due to Tony's leadership and smart business acumen. Two hours in, Erik became bored. And tired.

Tony worked the room and his rock star status among his guests was apparent. He was truly the King of razzle-dazzle and Erik watched Pepper keep him in check as she also worked the room, helping to move Tony when he was tired of talking to certain people. Pepper must've been working for Tony for a while because on instinct almost, she knew when to interrupt and pull Tony away with her to meet other guests. As much as Pepper came off as nit-picky with Tony, Erik got the sense that she loved her job with him. Tony allowed her a lot of leeway to butt in when she felt the conversations were veering into territory that Tony didn't need to speak on. She was also good at cockblocking certain women who didn't seem to fit Tony's type.

That's where it got interesting.

Tony's only type was beautiful and female. He was a breast man and a leg man from what Erik could see from the women he took an interest in. One tall sleek white brunette eased into his orbit, and within an hour, Tony was walking around with an arm around her waist. She was now the chosen one.

At one point, Erik had walked around a staircase where Tony was speaking to the head of a law firm, and Tony had his hand up the back of the brunette's dress digging all in her ass. The woman was standing there as if nothing was happening while Tony fingered her. When the lawyer walked away and they thought they were well hidden from view, Tony lifted the back of her dress higher and openly fingered her shaved pussy. She had no panties on at all.

Tony whispered in her ear and the woman's eyes shut tight. Her moan was loud.

"Talk that talk, T," Erik said under his breath as he sipped on a glass of Chablis. Tony's fingers were glossy and he must've been digging deep in the right spot because the brunette whimpered and held onto his left arm that cradled her waist while his right hand went to work. After a few minutes, Tony positioned himself behind the woman, unzipped his pants, rooted inside the fly of his underwear, and inserted his lengthy erection between her folds.

"Damn, no condom…bruh," Erik thought to himself watching the action.

Tony's strokes were hard as he palmed the woman's pale breasts that spilled out of her dress. Slamming into her, he kept talking, his voice urgent.

"Take it…take it…like a good little slut," Tony grunted, his eyes pressed shut and his face tight with lust. He was getting close. Looked like it was going to be a fat nut too. He pulled out abruptly and the brunette fell to her knees facing him, her hungry mouth wide open.

Time to go.

Erik turned and walked in the opposite direction feeling himself wanting to find a babe to finger fuck and clap cheeks. But there was no one there worth his time or energy and he had no condoms. The reality was, the women who were young enough for him to step to had their eyes on Tony. A billionaire genius was better than a broke genius.

He pulled out his cell and contemplated calling Giselle. The memory of her hand on his dick had him wanting a part two encounter. Tony was out here getting his rocks off. Erik wanted to do the same.

"Erik."

Tony's secretary Devika walked over to him. She wore a copper-colored body con dress and her thick black wavy hair was tucked in a chignon.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"It's interesting," Erik said.

"Very diplomatic answer," she said, giggling.

"How often does he party at his house like this?"

"Four or five times a year. I think you might be the first intern to ever come here."

Erik's eyes swept over the entire first floor.

"He lives in this big ass mansion by himself?"

"Yes."

"Rich people."

"This could be you one day."

"My spot will be bigger than this. A palatial estate."

"Listen to you," she said slapping his arm.

She dug into her small purse and pulled out a cell.

"You'll be back tomorrow, hopefully?" she said.

"I'll be there."

"Good. I heard nothing but good things about you."

"From who?"

"Mr. Stark."

Pepper walked over to them, her eyes looking around the room as she approached.

"Have you two seen Tony?" Pepper asked.

Erik's eyes swept over to the last place he saw him and there was no sign of Tony or his dime piece.

"He was talking to that lawyer from Fielding and Houstons," Erik said.

"If you see him, tell him that Mona Richards wants to speak to him and it is very important," Pepper said.

She walked away from them on the hunt for Tony.

Devika's eyes scanned the room.

"He was with a brunette," Erik said, making sure Pepper was far away.

"Ah, let me guess, the one with the…"

Devika held her hands out in front of her chest.

"You be knowing," Erik said.

"I'm going to call it a night. If Pepper is hunting him down, it can't be a good sign."

"Where do you live?"

"North Hollywood."

"Can I get a ride with you to the Oakwood?"

"Party over for you so soon?"

"I'm beat. Gotta get up early."

"Was Mr. Stark your ride?"

"Yeah."

"I'll give you a ride."

"Cool, let me get my stuff," Erik said.

He stood for a moment trying to remember which direction he came down to the first floor.

"Come on, I'll show you where your stuff is. You were in the guest room on the third floor."

"Thanks."

Erik followed Devika to the East side of the mansion and they walked up some stairs.

"There it is," Erik said walking into the room and grabbing his original suit that he placed inside the Hugo Boss bag he kept.

"You know where I can get my hair lined up?" he asked her.

"I look Black so you assume I know where to get hair done?" she said.

Erik stared at her face.

"My bad. I thought…the name Devika…it sounded…"

"It's Sanskrit and means 'little Goddess'. My parents are Indian—"

"I didn't—"

"—and Black. My brother gets his hair cut on Crenshaw, right across from the mall."

Erik smiled.  
"Los Angeles is a melting pot," she said.

"A segregated one."

"I hear you."

"I'm ready. Let's dip."

"I just texted Mr. Stark to let him know you are leaving. Just in case he wants to keep you longer," she said.

When they made it back down the stairs, Tony was waiting for them. Erik noticed his tie was fixed back up in haste. His hair was not as perfect either.

"Pepper said there's a Mona looking for you," Erik said.

"Here? Now?" Tony said looking around like a sniper was gunning for him.

"Yeah."

"Shit. Follow me," Tony said.

Erik and Devika followed him out onto his ocean view balcony that circled the entire mansion. Tony's eyes darted around as he slipped past guests out on the balcony and entered his private den.

"You owe her some money or something?" Erik asked, intrigued by how secretive Tony was acting like they were in a spy movie.

"No, she's just a friend with benefits whose benefits I no longer want."

Devika rolled her eyes at Erik.

"Hopefully she didn't see you with that brunette," Erik teased.

Tony's eyes narrowed. Erik threw up his hands.

"Hey, you were getting it in. I just happened to be there when it went down."

"Really? In front of Devika?" Tony said.

"I'll just be leaving Mr. Stark. Erik asked for a ride—"

"Yeah, I saw your text. Thanks for taking him. Put it on your T & E report for mileage. I'm going to hang out here," he said. He swiped his hand over his desk and security cams popped up on a floating screen.

"There she is. Damn it. I thought I had her taken off the invite list," Tony huffed, his hands on his hips looking distraught, "…oh shit."

"What is it, Mr. Stark?" Devika said.

"Pepper found her…and…oh no…"

Erik and Devika stepped around Tony's desk to look closer at his security feed.

"Let's go, let's go!" Tony said shoving Erik and Devika toward the door.

They exited the den and headed toward Tony's private exit where he and Erik had first entered the mansion. They were practically running down a hall and jumping into an elevator.

"Why are we running?" Erik asked.

"Pepper is bringing Mona to me," he said. Tony glanced at his watch and the security feed popped up there.

They scurried into an underground garage. Tony made them jump into a silver Lamborghini.

"Where are you parked Devika?" Tony asked.

"Second level."

Tony sped them over to a little red BMW.

"See you in the morning," Tony said.

"Where are you going?" Erik asked.

"I have a penthouse downtown. I'm staying there tonight."

"You're leaving your own party?" Erik asked.

"Pepper will shut it down," Tony said.

"Goodnight Mr. Stark," Devika said.

"Night Devika. Good job today, Stevens."

Tony took off like the wind.

"Get in," Devika said.


	7. Chapter 7

"_**Leave me breadcrumbs for the ride**__**  
**__**To guide me back**__**  
**__**Leave me breadcrumbs for the ride**__**  
**__**To guide me back**__**  
**__**Leave me breadcrumbs for the ride**__**  
**__**To guide me back**__**  
**__**Leave me breadcrumbs for the ride**__**  
**__**To guide me, guide me back…"**_

_**Jamila Woods (Feat. Nico Segal) **_**—"Breadcrumbs"**

Devika pulled in front of Erik's apartment unit and Maria was already standing by the curb waiting for him.

"Thanks for the ride," Erik said.

Devika nodded and Erik was surprised to see Giselle walk down their apartment steps to meet him too. Her eyes glanced at Devika in the BMW.

"See you tomorrow, Erik," Devika said.

She drove away and Erik faced Maria and Giselle.

"Where have you been?" Maria asked.

"Stark had me at his—"

Maria's arms were thrown around his waist before he could finish speaking.

"I thought you were gone for good until I saw your luggage," she whispered into his chest.

"It's all good. Stark had me work in another lab and then he took me to his house."

"For what?" Giselle asked.

Erik hoped she would hug him too, but she stood next to Maria with concern in her eyes. She was worried about him too.

"He had a party and I followed him around. That's it."

"He doesn't have a house. He has a mansion that is out of this world. I saw pictures of it in Architectural Design," Maria said.

"So you're not leaving the internship?" Giselle asked.

"Nah."

She let out an audible sigh and he followed them both back into the apartment.

"Who brought you home?" Maria said.

"Stark's secretary."

Erik looked at Giselle.

"Why are you over here so late?"

"Maria called me."

Maria showed him her cell.

"I received this email from our Project Manager. It says I have to meet in a different department tomorrow morning—"

Maria's face looked stressed out and beyond worry. Erik removed his bowtie and pulled off his tuxedo jacket. Both women ogled his clothes.

"Don't trip. You and Valentina are moving to a new department with me."

"Why? I thought…I thought they liked my work—"

"They do, but Stark let me move to a place that wanted me and he asked me to name two people from my team to go with me. I chose you. And Valentina."

"You chose me?"

Maria's face lit up and she hugged him again.

"Lemme change real quick," Erik said prying her fingers from around him again.

His luggage was on his bed and he quickly slipped into shorts and a t-shirt.

"I gotta warn you Maria, where you're going is pretty intense. The boss of that lab ain't no joke."

"I can handle it," Maria said.

"I know you can," he said.

"I'm going to bed so I can be ready. I can finally go to sleep. Night Giselle!"

Maria scurried into her room, her spirits lifted, and Erik let his eyes rest on Giselle. She looked shy almost, her eyes breaking away from his stare.

"Guess I'll head home," she said.

"You don't have to leave."

"It's really late. I'm glad things worked out."

"Me too."

He walked over to her, stepped close enough so that his face was near hers. Her energy was pleasant, but she wasn't welcoming in the way he wanted. Professional. Bet.

"Night then," he said heading to the front door and opening it for her.

Giselle patted his shoulder and left.

###

Valentina and Maria brought their A-game.

Erik was in the middle of trying to interface two software programs that had maddening glitches that stumped him all morning when Janine pulled him aside.

"You gave me some sharp picks, Stevens," Janine said munching on baby carrots.

"Yeah?"

"Valentina and Maria fit right in. You have a good eye for talent. Tell me something…what do you want to gain from this internship?"

Erik rolled back his standing chair and faced Janine as she snacked in front of him.

"Practical real-world experience with coding applications—"

"No, your endgame. Don't give me the resume speech. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Erik smiled.

This always happened.

His work ethic, extreme focus, and interests in multiple fields always brought the curious his way. His being Black never let him blend into the background with white people like the Asian staff. Being the small five percent of Black faces in Stark's offices never allowed anonymity. And when one was as good as Erik, that subconscious threat always reared its ugly head: Who is this uppity negro blowing up the spot? Janine wasn't even aware of how she was sounding to him. They never were. It showed up as curiosity, but the goal was to assess where they stood compared to him. Was he coming for their spot? Janine really had nothing to worry about, but after two weeks of him helping that department make progress in such a short span of time, she needed to know if Erik was aiming to become permanent.

"I'm joining the Navy. I want to be an officer."

Janine bit into a carrot and nodded.

"A Navy career. No interest in working for us at all?"

He shook his head.

"Been wanting to be in the Navy since I was little. It's why I went to the Naval Academy."

"Our loss," she said walking away.

Erik rolled back to the computer viewscreen. Janine was glad he wasn't trying to stay there. And she would use his brain up all she could before he left.

"Erik, can I see you for a minute?"

Valentina's face popped up on the viewscreen in a smaller chat screen. Erik closed down his work station and padded over to another station.

Valentina lounged in a beanie bag with her keyboard on her lap and her floating screen hanging above her.

"'Sup," Erik said.

"Does this look right?"

Erik enlarged the string of code near his face.

"What are you trying to do?" he said.

"Bypass all this junk code. There's got to be a better way to streamline all of this. We're on deadline and Janine wants a working simulation by Friday. This is going to take longer than Friday."

"You tell her that?" Erik asked swiping images, searching for problematic links.

"I'd like to keep my head on my shoulders."

"Want me to talk to her?"

"No. If you do that, then she might question why I'm here. Can you look this over later? Maybe you can catch something I'm missing. I'm getting a migraine over it."

"Let's go to lunch."

"Outside of the cafeteria?"

"Yeah."

Valentina powered down her computer and grabbed her purse. They walked through the hallway and found an express elevator they could crowd on. Once they made it to the lobby, Valentina gave out a loud sigh.

"How can you deal with Janine? She makes me feel like I'm not pulling my weight," she said.

"She giving you grief?"

"She doesn't say anything, just gives you those looks with those creepy eyes of hers. It's like playing poker and she has that neutral poker face, but with shades on. And a ten-gallon cowboy hat. And six-shooters on her hip waiting to take you down."

"She ain't that bad."

"I enjoy the work that I do, so don't think I don't appreciate your name dropping me, but sheesh…every time she comes to my station, I feel like I'm under a guillotine."

A bit of a ruckus stirred up near the entrance as Tony breezed in followed by reporters. Security surrounded the paps as Tony pulled off his shades. His head security officer, a big dude he heard Tony calling Happy, posted up next to him with his hands folded in front of him but his green ear bud glowing as he whispered instructions discreetly to the rest of his staff.

Tony held his hands out to the paps.

"There is no connection between my deal with the Afghan government and the SICA rebels. I am a businessman who works with many countries and I don't deal in politics—"

"But your weapons systems give certain groups advantages that our government has questioned because of anti-democratic behavior and human rights abuses—"

"And our government does business with plenty of countries with anti-democratic behavior and human rights abuses…China anyone?"

"Tony-!"

"Mr. Stark-!"

Tony turned away from the paps and Happy herded them out of the lobby with security in tow.

"Stevens, Berlotti…"

Tony's eyes swept over them.

"We're heading out for lunch," Erik said.

Valentina stood next to Erik a bit starry-eyed.

"Where to?" Tony asked looking at his platinum watch.

"The taco spot—"

"Cool, let's go," Tony said.

They followed Tony to a side exit.

"You not worried about reporters following you out here?"

"Happy has that under control," Tony said.

Alberto's Tacos was a small vendor cart that Erik found to his liking. The carne asada street tacos were flavorful and cheap and washed down with a cold Coke, it was heaven. The three of them sat on a bench not too far from the Stark building. White-collar workers streamed past them and no one took notice of Tony scarfing down greasy meat with his fingers.

"This is really good. Had no idea this stand was here all these years," Tony said licking his fingers.

Erik gulped down his Coke and Valentina kept quiet as she listened to Erik shoot the shit with Tony. He couldn't understand why she didn't ask the questions she was burning to ask him that she was always pestering Erik about during their lunch breaks. Tony took notice.

"You're really quiet Valentina," Tony said, his eyes taking her in.

"I'm just soaking it all in, Mr. Stark," she said, her eyes darting over to Erik.

"Things working well for you in your new set-up?"

"Yes—"

"Janine makes her nervous," Erik said.

Valentina nearly choked on her Sprite as she pulled the can from her lips.

Tony chuckled.

"You alright there, Berlotti?"

"Yes…yes, Sir. Went down the wrong pipe," she said wiping her lips.

"Janine is a tight ass, but don't let her chilly façade scare you. Are you worried about something?"

Erik gave Valentina a look for her to open her mouth and speak on her concerns openly. Her perfect bow lips quirked and then she put her soda can down. Erik nodded his head slightly at her.

"I'm worried about an assignment I have due on Friday. I won't be able to finish it because I need more time to work out the kinks because there are so many of them. There is no feasible way to have a working simulation up and running by then. There are four of us working on it and I'm the lead, but I can't…I can't fix it under this rigid time limit."

She pushed her hair back behind her ears. Her face looked ashamed. She sipped her soda again and Erik felt all of her confidence drain out into the ether.

"What do expect to happen on Friday?" Tony asked.

"Failure. I asked Erik to take a look at the work—"

"What about your immediate team?

"They are working on it—"

"Why aren't you with them now?"

Tony's eyes were bright and firm looking. He wasn't here for excuses.

"I have to eat."

"Working lunches are a thing Berlotti. You are the team leader. You wrangle your people and you figure the problem out. Why are you asking Stevens to look at your work? He has his own deadlines and team to worry about. You want him to take on your workload too? Alvarez has the same deadline and you know where she is right now? At her desk grinding. Janine said jump, Alvarez asked how high."

Valentina crushed her soda can and tossed it in a trash receptacle. She stood up and stared at Tony.

"I better get back to work," she said. The click-clack of her heels echoed as she left them.

"That was cold," Erik said.

"Cold? How?"

"She was confiding in you."

"That's what you're for. Not me. I expect results. Janine answers to me. So who do you think needs those codes running on Friday? Me."

"Did you have to throw Maria in her face like that though?"

"Maria works her ass off—"

"Valentina does too. She just hit a snag."

"And she will unravel the snag."

Erik finished his taco and Tony made a quick call.

"Let's get back to work," Tony said.

Erik followed him back to the offices and when they separated, he texted Valentina.

_You okay?_

_He thinks I'm shit._

_No he doesn't. Just high expectations._

_Did he talk bad about me when I left?_

_Said you'd figure out the problem. Want me to look at the codes tonight?_

_No. I'll figure it out._

_I know you will. Badass._

She sent him a happy face emoji.

"Erik Stevens?"

A guard at the information desk stopped him from going to the elevators.

"Yeah."

The guard reached down behind the desk and handed Erik a FedEx package.

"This came for you twenty minutes ago."

"Thanks," Erik said.

He walked over to a lobby couch and sat down. The return address was from his Uncle Bakari in D.C. Erik quickly opened the package. A folded note was taped to a small black notepad.

"_JaJa,_

_Hope this finds you well. We found this in some of your mother's belongings when we cleaned out our attic for some installation issues we were having. Don't know how we missed it. Looks like it belonged to your father. We didn't want to throw it out. Not much written in it, but we wanted you to have it._

_We are proud of you and look forward to seeing you at the end of August._

_Love and Hugs,_

_Uncle Bakari & Aunt Shavonne"_

Erik quickly pulled out the small black notepad. He flipped through the pages that had his father's distinct script written in it. All in Wakandan.

His eyes darted around where he sat. No one was paying attention to him. He jumped up and walked briskly to the nearest restroom.

Locking himself in a stall, Erik pulled down the toilet seat cover and sat down. He opened the notepad again and flipped to the first page. His fingers touched the paper gingerly, and he saw his fingers shake. His tongue touched his top lip and he felt the sting of tears prick the corners of his eyes.

"Baba," he whispered.

Wiping his eyes, he tried to gather himself together. The writing was neat, legible, and concise. Erik's brain shifted its language mode. Memories flooded his mind.

Sitting in his room back in Oakland tracing letters.

Wakandan letters.

Baba singing to him in his language, telling him stories about his homeland. Copying Baba's habit of writing in journals.

Stringing symbols to make sentences that looked otherworldly.

Think.

Remember.

Translate.

These were numbers. Cardinal directions.

Coordinates. GPS coordinates.

His father had made a handwritten map. For himself or someone else?

The numbers came to him quickly, but it took several minutes to accurately make out the rest.

Three places.

There was something buried in three different locations.

One of the places wasn't that far away. Joshua Tree. A little over three hours away.

Erik stepped out of the restroom stall and washed his hands. He stuffed the notepad in his shirt pocket right over his heart.

He wiped his face with a paper towel, and when two interns walked in chattering away, Erik slipped out and onto an elevator.

Baba left him a treasure map.

He just needed to figure out a way to go find what was buried in all three places.


	8. Chapter 8

"_**Free like the bluest sky**__**  
**__**Free like mountain's eye**__**  
**__**Free like... free like...free like...free like**__**  
**__**Free like the brown in my eye**__**  
**__**Free like the tears that I cry**__**  
**__**Free like...free like...free like... free like**__**  
**__**Free like a willow tree**__**  
**__**Free like a summers eve**__**  
**__**Free like the waves are crashing on the side of a solitary beach…"**_

_**Jill Scott – **_**"Free (Epilogue)"**

Erik handed a seventeen-thousand-dollar cashier's check to the salesclerk holding his I.D. and motorcycle license. The Kawasaki Ninja he wanted, the same as the one his mother used to have, with the same green and black coloring too, sat posted up outside the entrance of the motorcycle showroom.

Ownership papers handed over along with registration forms, the keys were dropped in his hand. The sales clerk had been a dick when Erik first came into the dealership looking to purchase a ride. He had to get permission from the manager before he could even do a test ride of the bike, even showing a picture of his mother on her bike with him when he was a child to let them know he was serious about buying. They gave him the grand total and Erik told them to have the bike polished and gassed up to go. Two hours later he was back and handing over full payment, but was annoyed when the bike wasn't ready. They assumed he wasn't coming back.

"Enjoy," the sales clerk said, and Erik rolled his eyes at him as he slung his backpack on and rolled out of the lot. His new helmet was nice on his head, and he felt free tooling down the I-10 and merging onto the 101. Transportation at last. He was too young to rent a car, and it was annoying having to use Lyft or Uber when he was ready to jet. His grandfather had called to verify his use of the money. Erik's parents had left him a small trust fund that he would receive in total when he was twenty-one. It was life-insurance money mainly, and he was allotted thirty-thousand when he turned eighteen with the rest pending. He was finally spending it on something other than clothes and computers.

His mother had him riding behind her the moment he was able to hang on to her waist, and his fondest memories were riding with her and Grandpop on the rare occasions they went out with his grandfather's bike club. Oaktown Rebels. Green and black were their colors.

The robust rumble under his thighs made him grin, and he sped up to pass a few cars as he made his way back to his apartment. He needed to grab a few things before he headed out to Joshua Tree.

Rolling into the apartment complex, he parked his new ride near Maria's leased car.

Walking into his unit, delicious smells wafted to him from the kitchen. He put his helmet on the coffee table and walked to where the tantalizing aromas came from.

"Look at you," Maria said.

He was surprised to see Valentina in his kitchen with Maria and also Giselle. All three women stared at him and his clothes.

"What happened to Erik Stevens intern? Who brought in Sons of Anarchy?" Maria said.

He touched his black leather biker jacket. The matching pants drew stares too.

"Just protective gear."

"For what?" Giselle asked. Her eyes looked suggestive. They were all a little tipsy. An empty wine bottle sat on the kitchen counter.

Valentina brushed past him to take a gander at the back of the ensemble he wore.

"That is some pricey gear, Stevens," she said.

"I bought a new bike…whatchu cookin'?"

His nose aimed for the stove.

Maria held tongs in her hand as she stood near a wok on the stove.

"Oh…shit….," she said pulling out fried egg rolls and placing them on paper towels on the kitchen counter.

"Lumpia. Chicken and pork…"

"What else?" he said, pulling open a lid on a skillet next to the lumpia still cooking.

"Pancit, chicken adobo, rice…"

Fuck.

He wanted to ride out to Joshua Tree asap, but the food looked banging and he was starving. This was better than the protein bars he was going to grab with his hydration pack.

"Join us," Maria said.

She pulled out plates from the cupboards and Giselle helped set their little kitchen table. Valentina opened another bottle of white wine. They all stared at him. He took off his riding jacket and carried it to his room. He packed up the gear he would take with him then washed his hands.

The women were already seated and grubbing when he returned.

Maria fixed him a full plate and he got down to business.

"So what is this? A hen party?" he said.

Giselle laughed and sipped on her wine.

"How did you guess?" she said.

Giselle had taken her braids out and Erik saw how big her hair was, lush puffy waves that cascaded to her shoulders, without her make-up and intern clothes, she looked like a teenager sitting next to him in her shorts and yoga top.

"We just needed to vent and trash the guys we work with," Valentina said nibbling on her lumpia.

"Well shit, maybe I shouldn't be here," he said.

"Stay, you might learn how to be a better man," Maria said.

"Erik is one of the good ones," Valentina said winking at him. Erik smiled, but then he caught Giselle looking at Valentina in a strange way. He stuffed pancit in his mouth and scooped up more of the noodles and cabbage on his fork. When Valentina's hand reached across and stroked his hand, Giselle really looked perturbed.

"Thank you so much for the pep talk the other day. I finished the beta on time and Janine spoke to me about working with Hollowell," Valentina said.

Erik nodded his head. Valentina's hand stayed on his wrist. She poured him a little bit of wine and he drank it so he could move his hand. He felt heat on his neck coming from Giselle staring and he couldn't figure out why she was giving off jealous vibes. Valentina was just the homie.

Maria must've caught the tension from Giselle.

"How's it going in your department?" Maria asked Giselle.

"Pretty good actually. I get to attend a conference with my project manager Evelyn. We leave in two weeks for Portland," Giselle said.

"So lucky! You get to travel. Wish we could go somewhere," Valentina said.

She picked at her plate and for a moment everyone was quiet as they ate.

"I have ube cake if anyone wants some," Maria said.

She jumped up and went to the fridge and brought back a purple cake. Once they all had their fill of food, Maria cut slices of the cake.

"Wow, it's purple on the inside too," Valentina said staring at it before she took a bite.

"It's a sponge cake, but a purple yam is mixed with it," Maria said.

"It's good! Light" Giselle said.

Erik snuck more wine and ate two pieces of cake.

"Let's go see your new bike!" Valentina said. Her fingers tapped Erik's hand again.

"C'mon," he said.

They all followed him downstairs.

"That is so cool!" Maria said.

Erik hopped on and started it up.

"That looks really expensive," Valentina said.

"Paid 17 G for it," he said.

"Can I get on?" Maria asked.

He helped her climb on and she took out her cell to snap pictures.

"Give us a ride around the parking lot," Valentina said stepping close to the handlebars.

"You need a helmet. I only have one," he said.

"It's just the parking lot. You don't have to go fast. We're in an enclosed place," she said.

"Me first!" Maria said clutching his waist.

He used his legs to roll back.

"Calm down, girl," he said.

Maria was giggling and wiggling behind him.

He zoomed around the lot and Maria squealed like a big kid on a rollercoaster for the first time. When he came back around and she jumped down, her face was flush from too much wine and laughing so hard. He thought she was so cute when she was buzzing.

"Me next," Valentina said.

She was taller and heavier than Maria. When she held his waist, he could feel her full breasts pressing into his back. Her chin rested on his shoulder.

"See ya!" she called to Maria and Giselle.

Unlike Maria, Valentina didn't giggle or look around, she rested her head against the back of his neck. When he brought her back, her hands dropped from his waist and rested on his thighs.

"That was fun," she said.

"Do you plan on getting off?" Giselle asked.

Valentina climbed off and Giselle hopped on. She was skittish with her hands.

"Hold tight," he said.

She relaxed and held him better. She looked around as they rode.

"This thing has some get up," she said.

"Yep. Top of the line."

He gave it a little more speed on the return so she could feel the power under them.

She took her time climbing off and Valentina was already trying to get a second excursion. He turned the bike off.

"This is so you," Valentina said.

"More cake anyone?" Maria suggested.

"I'll have more!" Valentina followed Maria back to the kitchen.

Giselle stayed behind as Erik dismounted.

"What's up with you and Valentina?"

"Nothing," he said.

"That's not what I'm hearing at the office."

"Whatchu hearing then?"

"Lunch together every day. Working late and driving home together. Acting like more than besties in public."

He shrugged.

"I eat lunch with Maria most of the time too. I don't have a car and it sucks catching the bus or a Lyft every day. She's friendly to everyone in public. Who are you hearing gossip from?"

"Maria."

"You already know she's a talker—"  
"Not just her. Other people have been talking. A lot of the guys who want to hem Valentina up."

"Why do you care? You told me you wanted to stay professional. Acting like you in your feelings or something."

"I didn't say I cared like that."

"What if I was hittin' that?"

"I don't see it."

"Why not?"

"That's not you."

"Fuck you talkin' 'bout girl?" He leaned against his bike.

"Most Cali niggas I've met are prone to the white girl hierarchy. It's ingrained. Everywhere you look, white women are propped up. It is what it is. But you…you not that brotha. But Valentina, she wants to break you in."

"You jealous or somethin'?"

"Observant."

"You don't think I could get down with a white girl?"

"No."

"So you should be happy then."

"Why?"

"Most sistahs hate brothas with white women—"  
"Not true. We don't care. We just get annoyed with Black men who date or marry white or non-Black women exclusively and then proceed to trash us every opportunity they get. There's a difference."

"What's the point to this?"

"Curiosity."

"I don't think so."

"I date the rainbow myself. Keep my options open. Black men will always be my first pick…but…you…you remind me of my grandfather. Y'now, Black people first, but probably have some colorism issues mixed in there—"

"Nah, I date the Black rainbow—"

"—and I wonder why you hold tight to that. Have you ever been with anyone non-Black?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why is this a conversation?"

"Don't deflect."

Erik stared at her. He couldn't understand why she cared so much about his choices.

"I have a preference for Black women. Other women are fine as fuck too and alla that, but for me…there's something about Black women that I just zoom into. I've been with mixed Black women…I just…it just be that way, Ma. There's a cultural understanding about shit that Black women get. I don't have to waste time or energy explaining shit-"

"Like?"

"Racism. Colorism. White supremacy. American fuckery. The struggle—"

"Of course. The never-ending struggle."

Giselle's voice sounded dismissive. He didn't like that.

"What if you met that one woman that was not Black and she had some cultural understanding and she was into you—"

"Hasn't happened yet—"

"Valentina-"

"Nah—"

"It's a fact. I heard her talking to some women in the break room. She really wants to make something happen. You can't see that?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Be careful."

"You blockin?"

"For who?"

"You. You not low, Giselle. You still feelin' me even though you want to be all professional. I saw you looking salty at dinner."

"I don't care if you get with her."

"Yeah, you do."

Giselle turned away from him and Erik grabbed for her hand.

"Hold up, finish," he said.

"Cake?" Maria called out.

Erik saw her on the top step of their apartment with a plate in her hand.

"Be up in a minute," Erik shouted.

His eyes took in Giselle's. She was serious.

"Why should I be careful?"

"Valentina comes off cool, but she's manipulative. I wasn't planning on coming here tonight, but Maria wanted me to, and when I heard Valentina was coming—"

"You wanted to throw a flag on her play," he teased.

Giselle's eyes didn't waver.

"If I wanted you that bad, I could take you."

"Look at you saying that with your whole chest."

Erik held onto her hand.

"All I'm saying is be mindful of how she acts around you and other people. I thought she was cool until I noticed some behavior that made me see that she's a user. She's into social capital and manipulation. You are Stark's golden boy and she wants to be the golden girl—"  
"She's good at what she does—"

"Getting next to people who she can climb above."

"I don't see it, but I hear you."

"Do more than hear me. Men can be so stupid when they ignore signs."

"We're all here to climb over each other. Trying to outshine the next person to claim a spot."

"That ain't you either."

"You think you know me that well."

"You're an easy read."

"Maybe I'm manipulating you."

"No. I don't think you'd do anything like that. You're too blunt. Too real."

"I'm not interested in her or anyone else here. Just you. I would let you use me."

She smiled and he thought he had an in with her.

"Lemme take you out."

"No, I told you—"

"One date."

"No."

"You're killing me, G."

Giselle headed up to his apartment.

"You'll live, Erik."

It felt mad awkward returning to the apartment. He overanalyzed every interaction with Valentina. She was just…Valentina…relaxed when she was drinking, astute, aware of shit around her with a basic understanding of her own privilege in the world. Maria liked her and Maria had a good heart.

But Giselle was pretty astute too, and Erik had to concede that he often stayed in his own head a lot over the years and tended to ignore things that didn't concern him. Especially working in the Stark offices. He did his work and bounced, took careful notes in his journal, and kept to himself on the weekends unless Maria cajoled him into going to a movie. He was not interested in Valentina like that. She was gorgeous with that Greco/Roman Mediterranean vibe, sexy without trying, aware of it, but not lording it over other women. He racked his brain trying to think of any encounter where Valentina had ever—

"Hey, you okay?"

Erik snapped out of his reverie. He stood in the kitchen eating the last of the lumpia. Maria watched him with inquisitive eyes. He could hear Giselle and Valentina talking loud as they watched TV.

"Coolio," he said.

"You and Giselle looked like you were in a serious convo."

"Nothing too serious. She still won't go out with me."

"Maybe you should find someone else."

"Like who?"

Erik waited to see what she would say. Maria's eyes glanced down at his plate.

"I dunno, maybe…"

"Valentina?"

"Giselle snitched on me, huh? I shouldn't have said anything."

"Be honest. She checkin'?"

"Yes. This won't make it weird for you, will it?"

"Already done."

"Sorry. I know you want Giselle, but…"

"But?"

"You have a sure thing out in our living room."

"Not happening."

"Why?"

Erik popped the last piece of lumpia in his mouth and washed his hands in the sink.

"I'll see you later. Thanks for dinner. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

"Personal business."

He went into his room and slipped on his jacket. His hydration pack was filled and he had snack bars for the ride back.

"I'm out," he said.

Both Giselle and Valentina stared at him.

"We were thinking of going out to The Grove," Valentina said.

"Next time," he said.

He left quickly and felt like he could breathe once he was back on the I-10 heading East. Traffic was cumbersome, but once he got past Ontario, the flow of cars was less stop and go. He made a quick bathroom break at a truck rest stop, and by the time he made it to Palm Springs, he saw the rows of wind turbines peppering the sides of the freeway. He knew he was close to his destination. The hundreds of turbines looked like white giants standing guard for some long-forgotten ancient battle.

The hill he rode up to get into Joshua Tree itself was peaceful in the darkness, and he found a cheap motel to stay in. It was better to search early in the morning rather than late at night in case he ran into any cops. Weren't too many Black people out in the desert, and meth-heads along with opioid users ran amuck, so Erik didn't want to look like a dealer doing a night drop or pick-up.

The motel was clean and he set his cell alarm for early morning.

###

The heat would not arrive hardcore until later, and Erik moved quickly with the high-end GPS compass he bought for the job. This part of the desert had vortices that were fucking with the dials of the indicators.

Yucca plants and small cactus surrounded him as well as the yucca species known as the Joshua Tree for its unusual shape that Mormons long ago said looked like praying hands lifted to the sky. They seemed to thrive in arid places like this. Erik walked around with the small shovel he picked up from the Home Depot.

Sipping water from his hydration pack, he took off his jacket and laid it across his bike. There was no one near him for miles. He didn't have to worry about anyone stealing his shit. He set off in the direction the coordinates gave him. He wished there was a picture map sketch or mentions of signposts to look for, rock formations or a particular line up of cactus, anything to help pinpoint whatever he was looking for.

He found what he thought was the spot and dug for thirty minutes and found nothing. He moved to two other spots near his first dig site and found nothing still. Maybe it had been dug up a long time ago. Instead of getting frustrated, he let thoughts of his father guide him. If Baba wrote this down, it was important. He would stay as long as he could in his search.

When the sun rose high, he took off his shirt and tied it around his head, keeping his shades on as he continued digging. By the time it was near noon, his water was all gone, and he was hungry for more than the protein bars he had. Whatever his father placed here was long gone. He mentally prepared to plan a trip to the central corridor and Klamath where the other buried sites were.

A rabbit caught his eye and Erik walked towards it just to have a break from bending over and allowing him to stretch his back out.

"Shit!" his hissed grabbing onto his lips.

An intense itching overtook his bottom lip and Erik shoved his middle and index finger onto his gums there.

His tattoo.

Something was making his tattoo react in an adverse way.

He stepped back to where he was before he saw the desert rabbit and the itching faded away. He traced his footsteps around the area where the tattoo reacted. The space around it was less than a foot around.

Erik stepped forward again. The itching started again but was less pronounced. He could endure the sensation.

He started digging.

Three feet in he found a small gray silky bag the size of an apple. He picked it up and climbed out of the hole.

His eyes darted about and he walked back to his bike.

Opening the bag carefully, he found another cloth brown bag within. His tattoo flared up with prickly nerves. His hand slipped into the brown bag and he pulled out…

….a small chunk of neon blue metal that glowed with an intensity that made his hand light up. His tattoo was made from this, he was sure of it, his body reacting to the similar elements found within the metal.

Erik covered the metal back up quickly and stuffed it inside the pocket of his jacket and zipped it up. He debated covering the holes he had made back up, but he decided against it. He needed to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Pulling his shirt from his head, he put himself back together. Under the bright summer blue sky and surrounded by desert sands that led to mountains, Erik felt a freedom he hadn't felt in a long time. His quest felt tangible now. He had something his father died for in his possession. Erik shook his head, feeling a lone tear fall from his face. This felt like a true beginning. He had a talisman in his possession that would guide him to his future victory.

He rode to the nearest gas station. After filling up his tank, he bought fresh water for his pack and made his way out of town.

This metal, this hidden treasure that his father buried far away from Oakland…Erik recognized it.

Even knew the name of it.

His father had taught him the word.

_Vibranium._


	9. Chapter 9

"_**Children of nature from another culture**_

_**Had to survive living in the light**_

_**Stolen from the center of the world**_

_**Untimely departure**_

_**Somehow survived living in the light…"**_

_**Caron Wheeler**_**—"Livin' In The Light"**

Erik held the flame from his lighter up to the smooth cool blue metal in his palm.

"You made it back!" Maria said.

Maria stood outside of his closed bedroom door.

"Yeah."

"Are you hungry, I'm going to head over to the spot for a chicken bowl."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Want me to bring you something back for later?"

"I'm good Maria."

He heard her milling around outside his door a little longer and then she left. He focused on the metal.

Vibranium.

The notes from his father's old journals could only convey the slightest bit of wonderment he imagined when he was younger. Vague memories of toying with his father's kimoyo beads and opening up a world of wonder when he activated it on his own. Slivers of images came back, images that revealed the use of vibranium in that futuristic world that his father came from. The world he was trying to get to himself.

In his hand, he held a component to deliver him justice.

The flame from the lighter didn't melt or activate anything from the metal. He could still feel the tickling irritation on his tattooed gums. The itchiness he could live with easily. Turning it over in his fingers Erik tried to figure out a way to get the vibranium into the Stark labs secretly so he could test its properties. His father's notes gave no clues as to what it could do. From what Erik could gather, it was a powerful energy source that had to be hidden. It was also an energy source that his Baba was going to use to help the diaspora and his mother.

Erik closed his eyes.

A man named Klaue betrayed his father for this metal. Ulysses Klaue.

Some of his father's notes were cryptic and also written in his own language. But there was one part of the three journals his father kept that his Uncle Bakari and grandfather had saved for him that Erik memorized by heart. Direct coordinates into Wakanda. Erik just had to find out how to use this metal to his advantage. It was the cause of his father's murder. But it would soon become the cause of Erik's rightful revenge. Against Wakanda. And Klaue.

He pocketed the metal in his pants and walked out of his room. Maria was gone and he had the apartment to himself. Making himself a pot of ramen in the kitchen, Erik thought about Stark. Was that man aware of vibranium? Tony went everywhere in the world, had access to arms dealers both legit, and Erik was pretty sure, illegitimate too. A man and his family didn't become billionaires without doing some dirt in the world. Billionaires were hoarders and they would know all the outlets to increase their selfish intake of resources. Most of their outlets were dirty. In Erik's eyes, Tony was a dirty mofo. No doubt about it. It wasn't a huge leap for Erik to assume that Tony knew who Klaue was. One thing Erik knew for sure, Klaue remained off the grid. Scant evidence existed that the man was still alive. Erik only knew that South Africa was that man's home base.

Erik went to get his laptop and sat in the living room slurping up noodles and looking up anything new he could find on vibranium. All he found were vague references to it being a rare if not fictional metal, probably a metal alloy mixture rumored to have mystical properties as a joke because of its natural glowing blue color. Small amounts were found in the arctic before World War 1 and its value was estimated to be astronomical if found in large amounts.

That explained a lot about why Wakanda looked the way it did from the glimpse he had as a child.

The fire alarm set off in the kitchen and Erik felt a strong hot vibratory shock inside of his pants pocket when he leaped up to turn off the pot of ramen he left on the stove that was now burning. He forgot to turn it off all the way. Erik shut down the alarm above the kitchen sink and when he reached inside of his pocket and pulled out the vibranium, it glowed brighter and he could feel the metal pulsing in his hand. Like a heartbeat.

Sound.

Erik turned the pot back on and let the rest of the ramen broth burn once more. The alarm gave another piercing shriek and Erik dropped the vibranium this time when the vibratory shock was too much for his fingers to handle.

He quickly moved the pot off the stove and shut down the alarm once more.

With great caution, he handled the metal again and could still feel the surge of power within it, along with the heat emanating from its brighter hue.

He smiled.

Who would've thought a burning pot of cheap noodles would help him learn an observational scientific fact?

Vibranium. The light of his father's world.

Now it was his light. And he would bring it to the Lost Tribe.

His tribe.

###

Erik worked diligently at the Stark computer lab.

He completed assigned tasks on time and kept to himself mostly. Tony had been traveling for a couple of weeks and there was a noticeable difference in how the office energy changed when he was gone. It was dull. Not quite listless, but when the head man was away, the mice didn't play, they just became…boring.

Standing at his comp screen, Erik strung lines of code together to input and received a vid screen message from Devika.

"Please come to Mr. Stark's office."

No reason was given. Erik knew he hadn't fucked up anything because Janine hadn't said anything to him directly. Shutting down his work station, Erik left the lab and headed to the bank of elevators whisking other employees around.

He saw Giselle inside the elevator he picked to take him up top. She held a fresh salad encased in a plastic container.

"Hey stranger," she said making room for him along with four other people.

"W'sup?"

"Where you headed?"

"Up top."

Erik could feel ears straining to eavesdrop as always whenever he was around.

"You have lunch yet?" Giselle asked.

He glanced at his watch. It was past one. He hadn't even thought of lunch. He'd been so busy coding and trying to get access to another lab that would permit him to test the vibranium in private. That wasn't working out too well.

"I'll eat later. Gotta see what they want first."

The elevator doors swished open and Giselle stepped out.

"See ya later!" she said.

Cheery. The day must've been going well for her.

Eventually, Erik was the only person on the elevator as he made the lone journey to the executive suites.

Devika handed him a donut the moment she saw him.

"I know you skipped lunch again," she said.

Erik ate the chocolate glazed treat to be polite. He used the hand sanitizer on her desk to clean his fingers.

"What's poppin'?" he said.

"Stark wants you to ride in the service car to pick him up."

"He's back?"

"Flight arrives in ninety minutes. You need to leave now. The car is out front waiting for you."

"Why does he want me to come there?"

Devika stared at him.

"He didn't mention any reason?" Erik asked.

Devika handed him another donut. A regular glazed one this time.

"Get going," she said gently pushing him toward the exit.

"You could've just told me on the phone or in a vid chat."

"But how would you get the donuts?" she said.

He grinned and left the office.

A sleek black S.U.V. awaited Erik in front of the office and he watched the crowded L.A. traffic as the car took him to L.A.X.

Tony Stark stood at the curb looking fashionable with his roller bag. Next to him was a statuesque Black woman with short curls and abundant curves filling out a white dress that made Erik's mouth get tight for a moment.

Erik hopped out of the front passenger seat and opened up the back passenger door for Tony and the woman as the driver grabbed their bags and placed them in the trunk.

"Stevens! Meet Athena Robinson. New addition. She'll be working in your department."

"Hi," Erik said and his voice came out with such a flat affect that Tony stared at him.

"What's wrong with your voice?" Tony asked.

"Nothing," Erik said, his voice still coming out strange.

Athena blessed him with a smile and held out her hand. Erik took it and the soft warmth made him feel giddy.

"Hi, Erik. Great to meet you," Athena said.

Erik stayed in the front as Athena and Tony sat in the back.

"Stevens, I want you to show Athena around, get her up to speed in your department. I also need you to prep for New York this weekend—"  
"Prep?"

"Yeah, you're coming with me to the Expo. Athena is too—"

"Janine wants me to finish—"

"Valentina will take over that project for you. Be packed and ready. Get a new suit too. We'll be meeting some new investors for the European offices and if all goes well, we'll be flying to Monaco in a few weeks."

Erik tried to process everything quickly.

He didn't want to leave the vibranium unattended in L.A., but he didn't want to take it with him to New York because metal detectors would give him away.

"Stevens?"

"Yeah?"

"Athena was asking you a question," Tony said.

Erik turned his head to look at her in the back.

"I just wondered where the best places were to eat. Mr. Stark said you were a foodie and would know," she said.

"I can hook you up. What do you like?"

"Everything," she said. Athena's eyes looked game for anything and Erik turned away quickly. She was as fine as frog hairs as his grandpop would say. He'd seen fine women all over L.A., but this one was a little different. He was digging the vibe she exuded.

"Hey this is the cut!" she exclaimed.

Erik realized he still had the radio on to the local R & B station. Return of the Mack blared from the speakers up front. Erik found his head bobbing along to it too, and when he glanced back to look at Athena, she was popping her fingers, not even caring that Tony was watching them both with amusement.

"Get into it Mr. Stark!" she said, nudging his arm.

"I'm not familiar with this song," he said.

"Old classic British soul," she said, "turn it up, Erik."

Erik did what she told him and the S.U.V. was rocking. He was really liking this woman already. She wasn't beholden with Tony at all. He was also really liking the idea that they would be in New York together.

Shit New York.

He might be able to see his Uncle and Aunt and a few homies from the DMV since he was so close.

The song ended and Erik turned off the R&B and switched to a classic rock station that he knew Tony loved. Steely Dan's "Peg" came on. Tony started rocking his shoulders.

"Wait. You two can't get into this?" Tony asked.

"It's hittin'," Erik said.

"Turn that up," Tony said.

Athena laughed at Tony as he made his hands wave in time to the beat.

"Haters," Tony said.

Erik laughed.

They arrived back at the Stark offices in good spirits.

"Show Athena around and then meet me in my suite around five?"

Erik nodded.

Stark had Athena's bags taken to the apartment she would stay in at Oakwood.

Athena followed Erik as he did the essential tour of the premises. She was impressed and asked plenty of questions. Especially about how being an intern there was fairing with him.

"Stark is an interesting dude. He can be a little out there, but you seem to have him figured out."

"That's only because he knows my father."

"Word?"

Athena's eyes lit up at his voice.

"My Dad works in the State Department. We've known Tony for a long time."

Erik kept that little tidbit in the back of his mind as he watched Athena take in the world of Stark Industries HQ.

"So, where do we work?" she asked.

Erik led her to another bank of elevators. When an express one opened, Erik rushed over to take it. Athena was on his heels. They stepped into the space and Giselle was there again. She smiled when she saw Erik again.

"Did you hear that we're going to New York?" Giselle said almost breathless.

Giselle's excited energy faded the moment she saw Athena.

"Athena," Giselle said.

"Giselle," Athena said.

No claws came out, but Erik could swear there were deep scratches somewhere from the sour tone that came from both of them.

"Athena is a new intern," Erik said.

The elevator doors closed and Erik stood between them both.

It was a good thing he did.

He knew for sure that if he weren't there, these two would probably be duking it out.

What the hell?

The tension was so thick on the ride up. He wasn't in the mood to make small talk to help ease the situation.

The doors opened and Erik was grateful to see Tony once more.

"Hey! How'd the tour go?"

Tony stepped onto the elevator and stood in front of Athena. Within seconds, Tony also caught the brittle vibe.

Erik gave Tony a look that was equal parts "Help" and "Wtf?"

"I have an idea, why don't we all go to dinner and talk about New York?" Tony said.

This was surely going to be the meal from hell.

Erik hung his head. Going to New York with two women that caught his eye along with his boss?

Trouble.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Me**__**  
**__**Can you focus on me?**__**  
**__**Baby, can you focus on me?**__**  
**__**Me, me**__**  
**__**Can you focus on me?**__**  
**__**Baby, can you focus on me?**_

_**H.E.R. - Focus**_

Erik sat between Giselle and Athena at the round booth table they were seated in at a seafood restaurant overlooking the Santa Monica shores. Tony ordered lobster platters and fresh New England chowder for their meal.

Tony got down to business talking about his expectations for New York and the women were focused on him instead of each other. After they finished the first course of clam chowder, Maria joined them and Erik gave a sigh of relief. Maria had a way of making people comfortable with her spastic energy.

Erik almost didn't recognize her when she swept in.

Dressed in a black tuxedo dress and midnight black boots, Maria looked beyond sophisticated. Even her hair was slicked back in a chic way, reminding him of when her tresses were wet in the pool when he kissed her…

For a second, Erik forgot about Giselle and Athena and even Tony, his eyes taking in Maria's visage. She looked good. Real good. Sitting next to Tony, Maria handed him an envelope and he tucked it inside his blazer pocket. A waiter brought over a tray of Oysters Rockefeller and while everyone dipped in to savor the goods, Maria finally looked at him, and her face looked stressed.

Tony allowed Erik to have a glass of white wine with everyone else and most of the talk was food and vineyards in Paris. Athena and Tony compared favorite wines, and Erik could tell that Giselle was stewing. So did Tony.

"So…you two know each other well?" Tony asked.

Athena took a sip of her wine and glanced at Giselle.

"From school," Athena said.

Her voice was cool.

Tony looked at Giselle who looked super annoyed.

"Frenemies," Tony said while pouring more wine for himself.

Maria watched the two women and then she glanced back at Erik. The mood was icy and not improving. Erik decided to change the topic.

"You look real fancy, Maria," he said.

Maria smiled at him.

"Maria is going to be giving a presentation this evening for the Los Angeles Asian American Business Alliance in a couple of hours. You all set?" Tony said.

"Yes," Maria said.

"Love that dress," Athena said.

"Thank you. It's a cocktail mixer and I'm going to talk about the internship and my experience with it so far," she said.

"You look lovely, Maria," Giselle said.

"Thanks."

"I'll be right back, restroom break." Erik said.

He stood up and moved past Athena. His bladder was calling.

"I'll go myself," Giselle said, following him to the back of the restaurant.

"Yo, what's the deal?" Erik asked.

Giselle stood near the ladies' room and her face looked cross.

"I fucking hate that bitch," she said.

"Why?"

"She and I used to be friends. Tight as hell back at Brown University. Before we graduated, I applied for and an overseas fellowship in Paris to study. Kicked my ass trying to get letters of recommendation and worked hard to get this thing. My mistake was telling Athena about it. She applied for it too. And she got it."

"Maybe she was a better candidate—"

"She called her father who pulled some favors. She didn't get it on merit. I know that for a fact. She just wanted to go to Paris and have that on her resume."

Giselle's eyes were in full kill mode.

"I hustled so hard. During my interview, I was told that I was a top candidate. She knew I wanted it, didn't even tell me she applied for it until after she was awarded the damn thing. She saw me putting in extra effort for a whole year…"

"Don't get bent out of shape over it now. That was the past. You're here with Tony—"

"That's just it, I know her ass didn't earn this spot like everyone else. I know her father is tight with Stark. I know it was just another quick phone call. Just like Wes, and all the other mediocre people who leapfrog over people more deserving."

"Don't let her steal your thunder in front of Tony. It makes you look bad. Do you really think she used her Dad to get her here? Tony doesn't seem like a dude who would go for that. You gotta have real game to get this internship."

"You know what sucks? She and I were like sisters. This cut me so deep, Erik."

"Y'all can't salvage your friendship?"

"Would you?"

Erik shrugged and dipped into the restroom. Giselle was still standing outside when he came out.

"Ready to go back?" he asked.

Tony was spinning a tale about New Zealand and Maria and Athena looked enraptured. Dinner seemed to get everyone back on track. Giselle ignored Athena for the most part and when the meal was over. Erik was asked to join Maria at her event.

"I'd like to attend," Athena said.

They all ended up going.

###

Maria did well.

More than well.

Erik didn't know if it was her clothes, the way Tony fawned over her in front of the event coordinators, or how Maria answered questions from the audience with sass and excited zeal. She was funny, endearing, and so fucking ready for any and all questions. Tony was asked to come up and say a few words, and the Asian audience ate up his words too. Later, as the mixer got into full swing, Maria stuck by his side. So many people came up to ask her more questions.

"Oh jeez," Maria said.

Two women and a man walked over to Maria.

"Maria, didn't recognize you for a second."

The name tag on the woman said, Yuna.

"Hi. Yeah, it's been a minute," Maria said.

Erik noticed Maria's countenance changed quickly. The confidence she had earlier was gone.

"Erik, this is Yuna, Paul, and Sooh-Ha."

They looked at Erik's clothes and his face and were about to brush him off when Tony sidled up.

"Maria, Erik, I'd like you to meet some people," he said.

Erik and Maria followed Tony, and Erik heard Yuna, Paul, and Sooh-Ha following them.

"Erik, Maria, this is Mr. Huang of TBS Corp. Mr. Huang, these are my two top interns…"

Tony bragged on them and Erik could see the others looking at him different. He wasn't just a random Black guy to ignore. He had some status. A bit of clout. Typical.

Erik and Maria showed off to Tony's delight, and Erik found his eyes wandering to Athena and Giselle who were talking amicably it looked on the other side of the room. He was curious to know what they were working out. Tony guided Mr. Huang to another group of business owners and Erik led Maria to the open bar. The clout chasers followed them.

"Maria, Joseph Kim is here," Yuna said. Her eyes sparkled when she said the name and Maria's lips went tight.

"Who is that?" Erik asked.

"Nobody," Maria said.

She picked up a glass of wine. Erik grabbed a coke.

"Your face says different," Erik said.

"Joseph!" Yuna called out.

A tall Korean man walked over carrying a plate of food. A smile spread on his lips when he saw Maria.

Maria tried to turn away from him, but she was stuck next to the bar table. She ended up bumping into Erik's side.

"Maria," Joseph said.

Erik recognized the look on Maria's face. He'd seen it himself on enough women he'd broken up with or dogged out. This dude had hurt her. And that pain was still there inside of her.

"Hi," Maria said.

Joseph's eyes looked her up and down.

"I didn't recognize you until you started speaking. Working for Stark must be amazing."

"Yeah, it is," she said.

Joseph glanced at Erik. They were the same height.

"How is your family?" Joseph asked.

"Everyone is great," she said.

Maria looked like a shrinking violet.

"Joseph and his wife just had a son," Sooh-Ha said. There was a smirk on her lips.

"Congratulations," Maria said.

Joseph beamed, and Erik wanted to punch him in his bland smug face.

"Since you work for Stark now, maybe you could put in a good word for me. I applied for a position in his San Francisco office," Joseph said.

The unmitigated gall. Erik felt his jaw clench.

"We better get back to Stark. He has some more people for us to talk to."

Erik held out his arm for her. Maria pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned into him.

"Nice seeing all of you again, but our boss calls."

"Good luck with that application," Maria said.

Erik steered her away from them and he felt Maria relax. They went to the other side of the room and stood near Tony as he spoke to a group of older women with a ton of questions and picture taking.

"Thank you," Maria said.

"I could tell they were bugging you. A nobody, huh?"

"Ex-boyfriend. He broke up with me to marry someone who was not Filipino and too Black for his family."

"Too Black?

"Yeah. My father."

"It was like that?"

"Yep."

Erik noticed Giselle stomping away from Athena.

"Excuse for a moment," he said.

Threading his way through the crowded mixer, Erik stepped to Athena who looked a bit shaken.

"Hey. Everything okay over here?" he asked.

"Never better," Athena said trying to brush him off.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really…"

Her eyes connected with his. She gave a sigh and leaned against the pillar she stood next to.

"I used to think Giselle and I would run the world together. She was the bestie that I dreamed of having. But now…she just thinks I steal things that don't belong to me like I don't work for stuff."

Athena's eyes flicked over his shoulder, he turned to see Giselle at the bar ordering a drink.

"She thinks I'm like these white boys out here. Always a phone call to Daddy to make things happen."

"Is it true?"

"Fuck no."

Erik felt his lips quirk when she cursed.

"I don't even like my father. We aren't even on speaking terms. Haven't been since I left Brown. She just…she makes wild accusations. Assumes too much."

"That's what y'all were going in about?"

"She doesn't think I belong here. But I do. I worked hard to get here and I worked for every fellowship I ever received."

"The one in Paris?"

Athena's eyes bored into his.

"She told you about that?"

"Said she told you about it and you stole it from her."

"I didn't steal it. She told me about the program and the company had twenty fellowships throughout France. The entire country. Twenty slots. I applied for the fellowship that matched my studies the same as her. I even turned in my application weeks after she did, almost missed the deadline waiting for a recommendation. I had to do six different interviews before I even got picked. In fact, I didn't even get picked until another candidate dropped out for a family matter."

"She says your father made a phone call on your behalf—"

"My father didn't even know I applied. I did it to get away from him and my family."

Athena's eyes were watery.

"I miss my friend…"

Athena wiped her eyes and Erik moved in to block her from spectators.

"Did you tell her all that?"

"Yeah. She doesn't believe me. Doesn't believe I earned my spot here. I told Tony not to even tell my father I'm here, let alone applied for a spot. She's just so damn angry and not trying to listen to me. I have never lied to her. I have never tried to sabotage her aspirations. I was always her biggest cheerleader. Been there for her through her darkest times…even when she had a—"

Athena pulled away from the pillar.

"Shit. I've been drinking too much. Talking too much…"

She glanced at her watch.

"How long is this thing? I'm ready to go."

"I can take you home."

"On a motorcycle?"

"Lyft."

Erik pulled out his cell and texted Tony.

"I let Stark know I'm escorting you back."

"Escorting me?"

"Looks like you need a friend to do that."

Her eyes dropped from his.

"I don't have very many friends, Erik."

"Let's bounce."

###

Erik ended up taking the vibranium with him to New York. It got through customs without alerting the metal detector.

He flew first class with Maria, Athena, and Giselle, along with five other interns hand-picked by Tony to attend the event. Their hotel was V.I.P. status all the way and their first night in New York was spent finding a club that Erik could sneak into. They ended up staying at the hotel bar lounge where the waiters assumed Erik was of age like the others.

Athena and Giselle were on their best behavior. Erik tried to get Giselle to talk to Athena, but that was tossed aside. Erik knew it was a misunderstanding. He believed Athena. But Giselle needed to have a villain to blame for something she wanted badly. He tried pushing up on Giselle, tried to get her to loosen up while they were away from the office, but she curved him.

Maria took a liking to an intern who seemed genuinely intrigued by her. Erik played the overprotective older brother and mean-mugged the white boy as much as possible to keep him on the straight and narrow. He seemed to get the hint and treated Maria well.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Athena caught him sitting in the hotel gym, the stationary bike he was on far from spinning wheels.

"Tony has me hosting the children's day opener. I was just thinking about how I was when I was that age. I had this robot I entered when I was like nine, and I got pretty far. I was thinking about what I would've wanted to hear from somebody working for Stark back then."

"That's so cute. A robot."

"Got a certificate and everything."

"Did you come to the convention?"

"Nah. My family had to deal with some stuff so I wasn't able to go."

He watched Athena step onto a Stairmaster and start a program. Her gym clothes were form-fitting and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her curves and the deep cleavage in her work-out tank. The girl was bad, no lie. He started cycling and looking down at the mileage he was putting up.

"You had a chance to talk to Giselle?"

"Nope. She's still ignoring me."

"Same."

"You two…?"

"Was trying."

Athena smiled.

"What's that smile for?"

"She keeps her eyes on you."

"I'm tryna get more than that."

"Alright now."

Athena laughed and it made Erik smile.

"Them dimples are deadly. You'll wear her down soon enough."

"It's been almost three months. This gig is about to end and she ain't budged. Not happening."

"Perhaps if she weren't messing with Cameron she'd be all over you."

"That buster."

Erik rolled his eyes.

"He's cute. Has a lot of personality."

"And I don't?"

"Yours is more volatile. A little rough around the edges. That's not her style."

"I think it is. She got a little taste."

"Ooh…a little taste?"

"I mean…she knows what I'm working with and she seemed to like it."

"You slept together?"

"Nah…just a little touch and feel—"

"Okay…stop. This is none of my business. I'm sorry I started the convo."

"No you not."

He stepped off the bike once he hit his target. He joined her on the Stairmaster next to her for his cool down.

"I can't figure her out. She's hot and cold with me."

"Maybe take that as a hint. Find someone else."

"Would you go out with me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Too young."

"That's a cop-out and you know it. Y'all keep settling for weak dick then—"

Athena burst out laughing.

"You laugh, but when you ready for that deep dick, you come holla at me."

He stepped off the machine a walked out of the gym.

Athena was still laughing.

###

Erik was drinking bottled water when he heard Maria fumbling with her key card trying to get into her room. He stuck his head out to tease her for being drunk when she couldn't open her door.

"You know it's bad when you can't get into your own room with a card—"

Her eyes were red and her face was streaked with fresh tears.

"What happened?"

Her hands dropped to her sides and Erik ushered her into his room and sat her on his bed.

"Maria?"

"Kevin—"

"He hurt you?"

"No…I…we…"

Her voice shuddered.

"Take your time."

She nodded at him.

He poured her a glass of water from a fresh bottle in his mini-fridge and she drank it down. She smoothed her dress and pushed her hair back from her forehead.

"I thought it was the right time for Kevin and I. We've been seeing each other for the last month and…I guess…I wanted to and…"

"And?"

Erik felt his stomach tighten. He was ready to fight.

"We had sex, and it wasn't good. It wasn't what I thought it would be."

"So it was consensual?"

Erik felt himself relax a bit. He unclenched his fists.

"Yes…oh God, yes…I don't want you to think I was forced. I wanted to do it."

She wiped her eyes.

He wanted to know why she was crying so hard about it.

"You have regrets?"

"I should've waited. I like Kevin well enough. It felt right at first. But it was missing something. Thank God it didn't last that long. I left the moment it was over even though he wanted me to stay the night."

A knock on his hotel room door interrupted them. He answered.

"Hey, we still on for dinner?"

Athena was dressed and ready to head to the hotel restaurant. She wore a snazzy black blouse and skirt. Dinner and then some clubbing afterward.

"Yeah…about that, Maria is having a moment and I'm—"

"Hey, Athena!"

Erik opened the door wider so Maria could see Athena.

"Hey, Maria. What's going on?"

Erik let Athena in. It would be best to let another woman handle the situation.

Maria looked at Erik. Then she looked at Athena.

"Maria…why don't you go take a shower and change and come with us to eat—"

"How did your date go with Kevin?"

Athena had a look on her face that let Erik know that she knew the extent of Maria's date night plan.

"Not so good," Maria said.

"Oh, honey…"

Erik opened Maria's conjoining door.

"Go get dressed. We'll talk at dinner," Erik said.

"I'll wait for you two downstairs. I want to keep the reservation," Athena said.

"I won't take long," Maria said.

Athena left and Erik put on his shoes and some brand new cologne.

A soft knock on his inner door let him know Maria was ready. She walked in looking cute and bubbly again in a slinky green dress.

"Ready to go downstairs?"

"Yes."

He turned to go open the main door and Maria hugged him tight around the waist.

"What's this for?"

"Listening to me. Not being grossed out by me talking about it. Not judging me."

"Sex is always different with different people. It's not easy the first time."

"Was it for you?"

"Hell yeah."

Maria rolled her eyes.

"What I mean is, I wanted to do it and I was ready to do it with whoever. But I was hella young. Fifteen. I was just all poke and stroke. I wasn't thinking about my feelings afterward. I was thinking about getting better at it with the next girl. I didn't know any better."

"I'm sure you were better than Kevin. He had his eyes closed the whole time, and it was like I wasn't even there. It was like he was screwing a sex doll."

"How are you feeling physically?"

"Okay. It didn't really hurt. But it seemed so fast. Is it always fast like that?"

"Um….nah, it depends. On who you're with and where you are—"

"I thought there would be more kissing. He kissed very little—"

"We should probably leave."

His hands stroked her shoulders and she placed her head against his chest.

"I'm glad you were here so I could vent."

"Me too."

He pushed back from her gently and when her eyes looked up at him, he felt a little funny.

Funny enough to lower his head and kiss her on the lips.

But not the way a friend would.


	11. Chapter 11

"_**Don't want to be on top of your list,  
Phenomenally and properly kissed  
We overcome in 60 seconds with the strength we have together.  
But for now, emotional ties they stay severed.  
And where there's trust there'll be treats  
When we funk we'll hear beats,  
Karmacoma**_

_**You and her walking through the suburbs  
No, not exactly lovers  
You're a couple, specially when you're body's double.  
Duplicate and then you wait…"**_

_**Tricky**_**—"Overcome"**

Erik stepped back from Maria the moment he felt his cell vibrate. Pulling it from his pocket, he unfolded the thin frame and swiped Athena's avatar.

"I'm about to order appetizers, are you on your way?"

"Yeah, give me a minute."

Erik watched Maria wipe her lips from where he smeared her lipstick. She eased back from him and her eyes looked everywhere else except for his face. He ended the call and went to his bathroom and washed his hands and mouth.

"Athena is ordering appetizers-"

"Erik…"

"I didn't mean to make this weird…I was just…fuck, I don't know what I was doing…"

"It's okay. I don't feel weird. My mind is all over the place right now."

"Let's go."

The ride down the elevator was quiet and when they reached the lobby, Erik spotted Kevin at the bar. Maria saw him too and she turned her head away.

"Maria!"

Kevin ran up to her and Erik blocked access to Maria by stepping forward.

"I've been trying to reach you," Kevin said.

"My phone is on mute, sorry," Maria said.

"Can we talk, please?"

Kevin had earnest eyes and Maria bit her lip before glancing at Erik.

"Okay," she said.

Erik stepped back giving Maria space.

"You sure?" Erik asked.

"Yes."

Erik watched Maria follow Kevin back to the bar.

Trying to process what he felt at that moment, he walked over to the host manning the hotel restaurant entrance and was directed to Athena's table.

"You alright?" Athena asked.

"Yeah."

"Where's Maria?"

"Ran into Kevin. They're talking at the bar."

"Uh-huh. Interesting."

He picked up a menu as Athena ate a bit of artichoke and spinach dip.

"God, this is so cheesy and good."

Erik reached for the garlic pita chips that went with the dip and took a big sample. The hot cheese and salty taste of the chips made Erik even more hungry. And reflective. Why did he kiss that girl at her most vulnerable? Maria was a sincere friend and he never saw her as someone he wanted to get with. The type of woman that revved him up did not fit Maria at all. He wanted to comfort her, try and get her to see beyond a bad sexual encounter, but his first reaction was to kiss her? Perhaps it was the vulnerable look in her eyes that enticed him. Maybe he wanted to make it up to her for having a wack ass first time. Her reaction to his kiss came off bashful and awkward. The sweetness of it made him feel even more protective when Kevin showed up.

Eating more dip, Erik focused back on Athena.

Shit.

She had eaten a bit of dip and her tongue tried to catch a ropey string of cheese and she missed. The cheese dropped onto the deep cleavage of her breasts and she grabbed the cloth napkin from her lap and tried cleaning it up gracefully. Her fingers removed the offending mess and when her eyes caught his staring at her chest, she laughed.

"My bad, hard to not watch," he said tossing his menu back on the table.

Athena's middle and index finger lingered inside the depths of those two heavy breasts that had Erik shifting in his seat.

He was horny as fuck.

Relief fell on him. His reaction to Maria was just him projecting what had been bothering him since he took the internship. He wanted some sexual healing. Hadn't had it for nearly three months because of his schedule.

"Uh oh, are those heart eyes you're giving me, boy?"

Athena reached for the martini glass next to her plate of pita chips.

Erik's eyes darted around. The restaurant wasn't full and they were in a section that was isolated from a lot of staff and customer traffic.

A plump waiter walked over and handed Athena a large whiskey glass.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Give us a little more time," Athena said, her eyes never leaving Erik's.

"Heart eyes?" Erik asked when the waiter left.

Athena glanced at her thin clear cell phone that was given to all the interns courtesy of Stark Industries. She swiped it and brought it to her ear.

"Hey, Maria…"

Athena pushed the whiskey over to Erik.

"It's good," Athena whispered to him, "learn something."

Erik took a sip but his ears were wide open. Athena spoke into her phone.

"Okay. No worries. If you change your mind come on back down."

"So?"

"She's going to hang out with Kevin…what?"

"I ain't say nothin'-"

"Hmph."

"So you know what went down?"

"Yes."

"Me too."

"Let's mind our business—"

"Bet."

"How is it?"

Erik circled the glass in his hand.

"Strong."

"As it should be. Glencairn glass. The base is separated from the bulb so your hands don't warm up the liquid. Twenty-one-year old single malt scotch. Seventy dollars a glass. Sip it slow. Enjoy the flavor. Let it rest on your tongue…"

Erik did as she instructed and when her eyes rested on his lips, he let his tongue swipe his top lip. Athena leaned in toward him.

"Like it?"

"Yeah."

She took the glass from him and sampled the goods. She closed her eyes and gave a low moan that made his skin tingle.

"Perfection in a glass."

"You should buy a bottle."

"When I make some serious money, I'll drop a thousand at one meal then."

They ordered Lobster and black truffle Mac n' Cheese and Erik joked about Athena trying to make him constipated with all the cheese they were devouring that night. Their per diem wouldn't cover a third of the bill and Athena used her personal credit card to cover the rest. She walked Erik to his room afterward so he could change his shoes for dancing and they met up with some other interns out on the prowl. Within an hour of joining the small entourage, Erik was ready to bounce. Athena grabbed his arm and dragged him along to their first subway ride of the night.

Sight-seeing commenced and then a bit of clubbing in establishments that had awful music, but Erik hung in there because Athena wanted to hang out longer with the others.

Things picked up on the subway ride back to the hotel when the trains were packed because of a concert and Erik had moments of being pressed against Athena who didn't mind the closeness.

The rumble and tumble of the train rocked them all and when Athena leaned back against him because of the movement, Erik took advantage and whispered in her ear.

"You doing that on purpose," he said.

Athena turned around bold and forthright.

"If I were, you'd know it."

"I know it, Ma."

Her eyes were bright like shiny new pennies. He leaned in to kiss her and she was open to his lips. He made sure she was thoroughly kissed with his mouth and hot tongue. He knew he had her all the way when she grabbed onto his ass.

"Damn, you can really kiss," she said.

Her breath on his mouth made him want to tongue her down some more until his cell went off.

Stark.

"Where are you? I need a wingman."

Erik closed his eyes as his jaw grew tight. Every time…

"I'm rolling through Manhattan—"

"Get a cab and go to this address. Bring your Poker skills with you."

"Poker?"

Erik's phone glowed red as the address popped up on his screen.

"I know you've been cleaning up in after-hour games with the cleaning staff—"

"Just some friendly—"

"Stevens, I know a card shark when I see one. Get over here. I'm bankrolling you. What are you wearing?"

"Suit and tie like you told us to have for—"

"Be here within the hour. I have a couple million riding on you Stevens—"

"But this address…hello? Hello?"

Erik folded the cell and slipped it back in his pants.

He glanced up at the subway train stop map above Athena's head and saw the next stop was three minutes away.

"I gotta dip."

Athena snuggled closer to him.

"See, now you really playing," he said.

"Where are you going? Can I come with you?"

"I'm going somewhere kinda sketchy, so you better stick with the crew."

"How long will you be?"

"Might be pulling an all-nighter."

He felt the train slowing down and he watched the other interns plow their way through subway riders getting a head start on the exit rush. His eyes regarded Athena with simmering regret.

"Come see me after," she said.

"It's Stark, so you know…shit can switch up without warning."

"But, so can I."

Her mouth was hot on his lips again and the solidness of her body next to his made him think seriously of ignoring Stark's request. Up close and personal with her breasts let him see how really deep her cleavage was and the surge of blood to his nether regions had him feeling woozy but oh so ready.

"I might not get back until morning."

"We're free tomorrow. And we have room service."

"Let me make sure I'm clear. You're inviting me over for conversation or…?"

"If you're a talker, then talk that talk, boy."

"Words, Ma—"

"You said you had that deep dick, right?"

"Fuck yeah."

"Then prove it."

"Thought I was too young for you."

"Slow night."

"Damn. So I'm the slim pickings."

Athena turned toward the nearest exit and Erik followed her out of the train. They joined their crew and Erik bid them farewell. He watched the sway of Athena's hips as she headed toward their hotel.

Waving his hand high in the air, he flagged down a cab and was surprised he was able to claim one so fast. Must've been the expensive suit he had on. He gave the Eritrean driver the address and listened to sibrit music all the way to his destination in the meatpacking district.

Erik stared at the address on his phone and looked at the building that matched it. It was a hipster museum. He paid the driver of the cab and hopped out. Texting Stark, he glanced around to make sure he wouldn't get jumped.

At the front entrance, he was buzzed in and escorted by a lanky brunette who guided him past overpriced art pieces and into a backroom that had stairs leading to a series of offices until he was shown into a softly lit space with a professional-looking racetrack-shaped poker table. Stark was sitting next to a regal-looking white man with clearly hand-tailored Versace suit. The Spring Men's collection that wouldn't be out until the following year. The type of suit regular people would never have access to.

"There he is!"

Stark waved him over to his side of the table.

Erik took a look around and recognized four of the men from the Forbes 100 list. It was a billionaires only table. Except for the son of the sitting U.S. Vice-President.

"Prince Francesco, I'd like you to meet one of my newest interns…Erik Stevens. Erik, Prince Francesco Grimaldo of Monaco."

Searing blue eyes met Erik's gaze. He could feel all the eyes in the room on him.

"Sit down Erik. Stark says you can bring a good game to our little soiree," Francesco said.

"What are you playing?"

"Omaha."

Shit. It was hard to bluff with that game.

"Deal him in," Stark said.

The woman who brought Erik in slid him neat stacks of poker chips. The colors told Erik he was way out of his league. But fuck it. It was Stark's money.

"Drink?" The brunette guide was back by his side again. Erik looked at Stark. The man rolled his eyes.

"Scotch. Smooth."

"You got it."

"Thanks…?"

"Delores."

"Thanks, Delores," Erik said.

"You're cute," she said.

"I play cute too—"

"Yeah…um, Delores, we'd all like some drinks," Stark said.

Delores leaned into Erik.

"He gets grouchy when he's losing," she whispered in his ear.

Erik watched a man across from him in a dark suit begin to shuffle the cards. A professional dealer. These mofos were not messing around. Erik took the empty seat across from Stark and the Prince.

When his drink arrived, Erik let it sit on his tongue like Athena taught him to. It hit his throat hot and smooth. Looking around the table, he realized that was how he would have to play. Stark was fortunate that Erik knew how to play several varieties of Poker.

Prince Francesco picked up his cards.

"Shall we begin," he said looking Erik in the eye, the smug look of royalty painting his face. But Erik had royal blood in him and he sat up in his seat with his own regal bearing.

"By all means," Erik replied, the whiskey on his tongue reminding him of Athena.

Erik hoped to be lucky twice: at that table full of sharks and also in Athena's hotel bed.

Staring at his first hand, he was off to a good start.


	12. Chapter 12

"_**You bitches ugly and dusty and none of y'all matter**__**  
**__**Money all on me, I'm feeling real flattered**__**  
**__**Walk in this bitch, straight drippin' like I was tryna get to the toilet,**_

_**but I couldn't hold bladder**__**  
**__**First class only when I'm not on the jet**__**  
**__**All the white folks keep breakin' they neck**__**  
**__**They tryna see if I'm black and a threat, **_

_**but I'm covered in green, they like "Look it's Shrek!"**__**  
**__**Bankteller sayin' my shit froze (How?)**_

_**Pockets thick as hell like Lizzo (Wow)**__**  
**__**Mukbang the beat like Trish, hoe (Damn)**__**  
**__**If you piss me off, it's a shit show**__**  
**__**'Cause I'mma do some shit that you can't believe**_

_**Smack a bitch into Christmas Eve (Uh-huh)…"**_

_**cupcakKe**_**—"Grilling Niggas"**

Prince Francesco of Monaco stared at Prince Erik of Wakanda by way of Oakland with a glare so hot, the entire room could feel the angry heat wafting off of him. Erik pushed a cool half a million worth of chips into the center of the table and waited for the perturbed man sitting across from him to put up or fold.

Tony had a hand gripped to his face and his other hand around his stomach. Four hours of card playing had come down to this moment. Two final players facing off. Tension was heavy like wet cement bags on Erik's chest even though he felt confident that the other Prince was bluffing.

Erik had been grilling these fools the entire time he was there. He felt a little cocky about it too.

"Sun is about to come up, bruh," Erik teased.

Tony's top lip teased up into a smirk and the other men watching kept quiet. The final pot was ten million dollars in total.

Francesco grumbled and when Erik thought he would fold, the man called him out and pushed even more chips to the center. Erik spread his cards out on the table.

"Fuck," was all Francesco could say as his sorry hand was revealed.

A couple of the spectators clapped and Tony walked over and slapped his hand on Erik's back.

"Be gracious," Tony whispered to him and Erik stood up from his seat to shake out his stiff legs.

"Here ya go, big winner," Delores said handing him a shot of tequila.

Erik downed it before Tony could say anything.

The dealer collected all the chips and a silver-haired Asian woman who sat to the side quietly observing the entire time Erik was there, pulled out a chrome laptop. Tony and Francesco each handed the woman blank black cards and she swiped them on an attachment hooked to the laptop.

"Exchange complete," she said handing the cards back to the men.

Tony's eyes took in the room.

"I thank you for this evening Francesco….gentlemen until next time—"

"Wait…wait…I demand a rematch. Bring this young man to Monaco."

Francesco's face looked pleasant enough, but his tone was serious.

"That can be arranged, but we need to get going. Night."

Erik watched Tony put on his blazer and button it up. He slid on a pair of shades and Erik followed him out to an awaiting town car.

When the driver pulled away from the museum, Tony let out a relieved sigh.

"Holy shit, Stevens. I thought I was going to shit a brick those last few hands. You played Francesco like a goddamned cello."

"He's a pro—"

"But he met his match. For years I've been wanting to beat that spoiled imp, but he always comes out on top most games. I've been lucky a couple of times, but to see him shut down like that…fucking golden. Good job, kiddo. I owe you."

"A trip to Monaco—"

"To work…and maybe a little bit of play if you do well at the Expo. You ready to work?"

"I think I'm ready. How bad can it be with a bunch of little kids?"

"Oh jeez, they are going to eat you up."

Tony smiled and leaned back in his seat.

"Thanks for coming when I called. You saved me the ass beating of the year."

"Do I get a cut?"

"I'll think about it."

"You trippin', I should get half."

"You played with my money—"

"But I won money with that money."

"I'll think about fair compensation—"

"Betta have a lot of zero's with it."

"You hungry? We can stop at an all-night spot I know."

"Nah, got somewhere to be."

Tony glanced at his platinum watch.

"Really? Where?"

"That's my business," Erik said. He couldn't keep the grin off of his face thinking about Athena.

"Oh…I see. A date."

"Somethin' like that."

They pulled in front of a brand-new skyscraper and the driver opened Tony's door.

"Have fun on your date."

Erik stared up at the building.

"My East Coast digs. Have your presentation and schedule mock-up ready by Thursday."

Erik nodded and Tony walked to his New York penthouse.

The driver dropped Erik off at the hotel and he rode the elevator marveling at the amount of money he was able to play with just on the whim of rich white men, who wouldn't blink if they never saw it again. The re-match Francesco wanted was pure ego.

Erik slipped into his suite, showered, and shaved quickly then checked the time. Six in the morning. He changed into soft white linen slacks and a creamy purple Brunelli Cucinelli cashmere sweater. Slipping on dark tan dock loafers, he felt relaxed enough to appear casual, even with his pocket stuffed with condoms. They had all day to lounge, and he made sure to have enough rubbers to keep Athena in her bed until it grew dark again.

Sauntering over to her room, Erik smelled good, looked, good, and felt good enough to rock Athena's world. The anticipation was bubbling inside of him like tea on tap about to whistle.

Knocking on her door softly, he waited for her to answer, and for a slight moment, he did worry that she had changed her mind when she didn't answer. If she had changed her mind, Athena was the type to text him and let him know early on.

When she opened the door in a silk half robe, all that deep cleavage teasing him, he felt his dick wake up a little bit, and he flashed her all his big white teeth. He tried to step into her room, but she blocked access. He frowned.

"You got somebody else in there?"

The rumble in his voice caught her attention and she bit her lip all sexy and that ticked him off. All that teasing talk and she had some other dude up in her room and didn't text a nigga? Fuck that. Erik skimmed past her. The thick hotel room curtains were drawn closed, so the room was still dark. The tv was on. One queen bed was disheveled and empty, but the other bed—

"Hey, Erik!"

The bubbly face of Maria greeted him. She wore a t-shirt and probably her favorite Winnie-The-Pooh pajama bottoms she wore at their apartment back in Los Angeles under the bed covers. Erik glanced back at Athena. She shrugged and closed the door.

"Maria and I had a little serious girl talk last night, and watched a little tv."

Athena climbed onto the bed she was using and Erik just stood in the room like a big dummy.

"You're up early," Maria said eyeing his clothes, "we have snacks if you want some. I was going to order room service for pancakes. You guys want pancakes?"

"Um...Athena?"

Erik held up his hands.

Maria's cell phone rang. She answered it.

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"She's just going to hang out for a bit. She had a bad time with you-know-who again. Not sex, just…awkward closure…I'm letting her hang out for a bit. She'll leave soon enough, just be cool, okay? It was pretty rough for her."

"Let's go to my room then."

"Climb in."

"I want to be alone with you—"

"You will be. Erik, we have all day and night. Be a friend, please? She's vulnerable right now."

"She has Giselle for that—"

"I'm not going to kick her out—"

"I'll do it then—"

Athena grabbed his arm and pulled him onto her bed.

"Kick your shoes off and relax."

Erik used his toes to release his shoes from his feet slowly and he climbed on top of the bed covers. He leaned his back against the headboard. Maria chattered and it only took Erik a few seconds to realize she was talking to Giselle. Erik held his forehead with his hand waiting for Maria to finish.

"How was the thing with Stark?"

"Good. It was a private poker game."

"Really? Why did he need you?"

"I played for him. He bankrolled me with some high rollers and I kicked butt."

"Serious? How much?"

Erik whispered in her ear. Her eyes grew big.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

He shook his head.

"Keep that to yourself. I'm tryna get a players fee from him."

His eyes drifted from hers down to the top of her robe. Her heavy breasts strained against the silk. He rested a hand on one breast and squeezed softly. Her eyes darted over to Maria.

"You can wait," Athena said. But she didn't move his hand.

Eventually, Maria got off her cell, but then the next thing Erik knew, she and Athena got caught up in a show about young fashion designers competing for runway shows and the time ticked on for two hours as the two women cackled about clothes and yelled at the t.v.

Athena ordered room service for everyone and they all ate pancakes and omelets with crispy bacon and Erik turned grumpy when the women got caught up in another reality tv show. Athena patted his head and pulled back the covers for him to cuddle under with her. Maria saw the action but said nothing about it as she snacked on more bacon.

Wrapping his arm around Athena's waist, Erik closed his eyes and rested his head on a pillow, allowing his body to savor the warmth of Athena and the sweet cloying smell of her skin.

Even with the sun up outside, the room remained quite dark with the curtains still shut, and he found himself drifting in and out of sleep. The third time he woke up from a short two-minute cat nap, he found himself getting warm and pulled off his socks and then his slacks.

"What are you doing?" Athena said glancing over at Maria who was focused on the tv.

"I'm hot with these clothes on."

He pulled the sweater over his head and Athena's eyes scanned his chest with hunger in her eyes.

"I'm keeping my boxers on."

She rolled her eyes.

"Had I known this was going to turn into a slumber party I woulda worn sweats," he grumbled.

He curled around her body again and let his arm brush against her breasts. He could feel her softness better and his dick chubbed up by being pressed into her backside.

"You making me hard," he whispered in her ear.

"I haven't even done anything," she whispered back.

"You ain't gotta do nothing but back that ass against me. Witcho fine ass."

She giggled and rubbed her hand on his arm.

Erik pressed his lips on the back of her neck and then kissed her earlobes.

"Don't…."

Athena's protests were weak and she pressed her thick cheeks back into him.

Erik slipped a hand inside her robe and it fell open easily as he caressed her breasts under the covers. Athena turned her head back toward him and he snagged a hold of her lips. Soft tongue kissing kept them quiet as the tv rattled on.

"Erik, stop, wait until she leaves…."

He pulled off his boxers and pushed up Athena's robe. All he felt was a short satin nightgown under the robe and no panties. He let his fingers drag lightly along her shaved vulva and she bit her bottom lip to keep quiet.

"She's been here four hours since I came in. I'm here to collect what you promised. If you won't go to my room, and you just letting her linger, I'm getting something right now."

Athena pressed into his erection.

"You feel all that big dick, huh?"

He plucked at her nipples and they hardened fast for him. His eyes were glued to them and when he lifted up one heavy breast, Athena reached back and gripped his dick. He fingered her clit and she shoved her face into her pillow to stifle a moan.

He teased her bud until she was squirming hard against his length. He tried to keep his voice quiet too as her ass cradled his erection and milked pre-cum from him. Both of them found their eyes darting over to look at Maria. Her back was to them because the large screen tv was hanging over the wall of the small living room area.

Erik kissed Athena again, forcing her to turn her head toward him as he tongued her down with slow wet kisses. He felt like his dick got harder trying to sneak pleasure with someone else in the room. Athena's pussy was sopping wet. The thrill of being caught probably turning her on too. An entire half-hour episode of a show played on tv as they reveled in kissing long and deep. Erik stopped kissing her when she opened up her robe and let her breasts fall out of the nightgown. He felt his manhood twitch just from looking at the overabundance displayed before him. Her eyes were glassy and her lips looked swollen from his mouth ravishing hers.

Erik reached for his pants that were folded at the end of the bed and dug in the pockets. Pulling out two condoms he stuck one under the pillow and unwrapped the other.

"We can't," Athena whispered.

Erik pulled the covers over Athena's chest and leaned back nonchalantly.

"Hey turn that up," Erik called to Maria.

"It's already kinda loud," Maria said looking over at him.

"Just a little bit," he said.

The remote was by her side, so Maria turned it up two volume levels.

Erik slid the condom down on his length and squeezed his balls.

Athena was still hesitant, but that didn't stop her from turning to her side and allowing him to line his dick up with her gaping slit. Erik looked at her opening and held in a heavy groan that wanted to fall out of his mouth. He pushed in and Athena slammed a hand over her mouth and shoved her face into her pillow.

"Told ya," he whispered, "I'm bout to get up in them guts."

Erik kept his thrusts slow, hard, and deep.

Her pussy was snug around his thickness and when she looked back at him with her lips parted and her eyes pleading with him to keep going slow, he found his own mouth going lax and hard exhales falling from his lips without any control from him. Soft rocking motions kept them content, and this woman's pussy gave Erik more nasty thoughts of what he would do to her when they were actually alone.

He pulled away from her when Maria jumped off her bed and padded into the bathroom. The bathroom fan was loud and Erik took advantage of the noise and Maria's absence in the room to start pummeling Athena's pussy. He gripped her leg and lifted it up, pushing away the covers.

"She's going to come back out!" Athena cried out.

Athena wiggled and slammed her ass back into him, but the thrill of discovery was tinged in her voice. She was turned on with the idea of being caught.

Erik slammed into her and her eyes shut tight.

"Fuck, Erik!"

They heard the toilet flush and then running water.

It was now or never.

He pulled Athena on top of him. He wanted to see those huge tits bounce. She leaned forward and not only did they bounce, but they smacked against each other loudly.

"Fuuckkk, baby…I'm cumming in your pussy!" Erik shouted.

Thrusting his hips up hard, the heavy spurts from his dick into the condom had his eyes rolling back as Athena muffled her own orgasm.

She scrambled off of him and dived back under the covers as Maria strolled casually back into the room and flopped back on her bed.

Erik felt Athena's body shaking with laughter as she covered her mouth. Erik burst out laughing and pulled the covers over his chest.

"What's so funny?" Maria asked, glancing over her shoulder, completely oblivious.

Erik fell out again as his penis grew flaccid.

"You, you're funny," he quipped.

Maria rolled her eyes and turned the tv channel.


	13. Chapter 13

"_**The most important time in history is, now, the present**__**  
**__**So count your blessings cause time can't define the essence**__**  
**__**But you stressin over time and you follow the Roman calendar**__**  
**__**These people into cloning like Gattaca, you can bet**__**  
**__**They tryin to lock you down like Attica, the African diaspora**__**  
**__**Represents strength in numbers, a giant can't slumber forever…"**_

_**Black Star**_**—"K.O.S. (Determination)"**

"When can we meet Tony Stark?"

The chunky white girl with the dark goth hair and stank attitude glared at Erik as he stood before a podium giving the introductory remarks to the two hundred plus fourth through sixth-grade students who were attending the morning children's track of the Stark Expo.

Erik squared his shoulders and glared back at her.

"It's rude to interrupt someone's speech without raising your hand when they are explaining what is about to happen. How about you wait and let me finish?"

The girl's lips curled up in surprise and she looked around as the other children snickered at her. She rolled her eyes at Erik and folded her arms.

"Now…to finish my remarks, I'd like to say that the Children's Expo is going to be filled with various activities that you can fully choose to participate in throughout the day. Lunch will be at twelve-thirty and provided for all of you inside the Learning Annex tent located right next to the convention center…what is it now?"

The same white girl raised her hand and Erik could hear a few exasperated sighs coming from some of the other kids there.

"Will there be gluten-free food provided, because—"

"Did your parents fill out the registration form and check off gluten-free?"

"Yes—"

"Then why are you wasting our time asking about it?"

"I just want to make sure—"

"We are providing gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, non-processed, locally sourced foods for those with dietary concerns. Anything else?"

Erik's lips curled into a scowl and a little Black girl with two tiny braids laughed out loud at his expression and quickly covered her mouth when he glanced over at her. She was the same girl that the chunky white girl had talked over at the beginning of Erik's presentation. He softened his expression at her and she visibly relaxed and dropped her hands on her lap.

He swiped his hand on his touchpad and the projected image floating behind him changed to a map of the expo space.

"Restrooms are located by following the blues lines on the walls and if you have questions or concerns, we have adult guides throughout the expo halls that can help you at any time…"

The same problem child's hand flew up.

"Stand up," Erik barked at the annoying girl.

The girl stood up, her lips tight, and her eyes still challenging him.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Katy—"

"Everyone, Katy wants some attention right now. She's been asking questions that could be answered at the end of my little talk. She's spent time whispering to people around her and being a distraction, and she has also been rude to many of you. So, Katy, the floor is now yours, we'll all just sit here and give you all the attention you want."

Erik stepped away from the podium and held his hands clasped in front of his waist.

The children stared at the girl and Katy's face, that had once been smug, slowly drained. His mother who had been a school teacher would've handled the girl a lot better, but Erik knew this type of child. He went to school with a lot of them like her. So used to being considered smart, gifted, and "special" all their life that they tended to become conceited and grew a holier-than-thou ass-hole mentality. If there was a high-income family attached behind them, they were even worse. Katy had made fun of some of the other kids who had asked good questions by belittling them with comments meant to make them look stupid. Now Erik was making her look stupid.

"Can we get back to me giving everyone information now?"

Katy said nothing.

"Sit down then," he said.

She plopped back down and he didn't hear a peep out of her for the rest of his presentation. At the end, he answered pertinent questions and released the youngins to adult handlers that matched the color-coded badges all the children wore. Forty minutes of talking, ten minutes sprinkled throughout with Katy interrupting, and twenty minutes of Q & A already had him drained from being around kids the rest of the day. He expected to hear from Tony about Katy from some of the adult handlers in the room who helped with supervision, but he didn't care. Don't start none, won't be none is what his Mama taught him.

"Are you giving a tour Mr. Stevens?"

Erik turned to see Athena making a child-sounding voice.

"Thank God no," he said with a big grin on his face.

"My track is over and the high-schoolers are going to eat lunch now, so I have a break. What do you have next?" she said.

"The Track C group. Junior high. I thought the little kids would like graphics better but they seemed to come alive more when I just talked to them and ignored my pictures."

"You're good at talking. You get excited about what your explaining and its infectious."

"It doesn't feel that way."

He glanced around. No one was watching. He cozied up to her and put a hand around her waist.

"Can I come back over tonight?"

"Be mindful, Sir," she teased, pushing back from him.

He kissed her on her lips.

He'd been swimming in her pussy for three days straight and shit was so good she had him daydreaming about her while he worked with the expo crew team to set up. He didn't even try to be discreet with her anymore because she had him hooked. She glanced around then rubbed up against him, letting her lips rest on his lush mouth.

"Could I borrow him for a second? Or do you need to hump his leg?"

Giselle stood with a palm pad in one hand and a bunch of teen badges in the other.

Athena stepped back from Erik.

"These are some badges for a few attendees who just arrived and weren't able to pick these up downstairs."

Erik took the badges from her.  
"You can pass them out at the beginning of your presentation. If there are some left because the attendees didn't show up, I'll take them back for tomorrow. We found some people trying to sell these outside."

"Alright," he said.

"Do us all a favor, try to stay professional and stop pawing at each other," Giselle snapped.

Athena rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you tonight, Erik," Athena said walking away.

Erik watched her swing her big hips in her tight ass slacks and he couldn't help but make a sound of approval under his breath. That was enough to annoy Giselle and she sucked her teeth.

"Don't be mad. I was tryna get with you, but you turned me down."

She ignored him and took her spot near the back of the room waiting for Erik's next session to start.

She cut her eyes at him.

"Be pissed at yourself…"

She crossed her legs and Erik noticed the deep split in her skirt and the sexy heels on her feet. Damn, she could still get it. He sat next to her. Giselle's fingers flew over her touchpad.

"I'll be professional, okay? Thanks for reminding me."

He patted her thigh and she moved her legs away from him.

"You plan on being mad at me all day?"

"I'm not mad at you."

"Jealous?"

"Of what?"

"Athena and me. You know we smashing."

"That's your business. No one needs to see it here is the point."

Giselle was cute when she was annoyed. The pout on her face was actually kind of sexy to him.

A surge of junior-high aged attendees filed into the space snagging seats. Erik stood up and headed to the podium. Checking his watch, Erik started promptly.

The junior high track was straight fire. The students were attentive, laughed at a lot of the graphics he put together for them meant to add humor to science and technology, and his Q & A session went over the allotted time because so many young people wanted to stay behind and talk to him. He had to finally type up his email and give it to the tons of questions that had to go unanswered. So many bodies flocked around him vying for his time. Giselle had to come rescue him, guiding him away from the crowd.

"They got you acting like Pepper," he joked.

"They bum-rushed you like you were Tony," Giselle said.

Her voice was pleasant. Actually friendly. He regarded her face with curiosity.

"You sound impressed."

"Actually, I was. You were great."

"Just great?"

"Okay…okay…that was a fantastic session."

"Ooh, fantastic. I leveled up in your eyes."

The expression on her face made her look open to him.

"You had lunch yet? I'm going to grab a bite and then I have to head over to the mini-lab and work there for two hours."

"No, I just had a latte earlier."

"Let's go eat…unless you have to go to your next station."

"I can eat."

He was surprised she agreed to go with him.

He steered her to the lunch pavilion in the tent outside the convention center, and they fixed themselves hearty plates of fancy catered food. They sat outside the tent on the steps of the convention building and ate their fill.

"Ah vitamin D," Giselle sighed, holding back her face to the sun when they were done eating.

She looked beautiful with her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted, and her hair resting on her shoulder. Erik ate his food while watching her sunbathe. He was still feeling her and didn't know how to get past her reticence toward him. She must've felt his eyes on her because her lids raised up slowly and for a second, Erik was lost in her face. He wanted to kiss her again and leaned forward toward her…and she was letting him.

"Hey, Devika!" Erik said pulling back from Giselle when his peripheral caught sight of her.

Tony's personal secretary strolled past carrying two bags.

"You need help?"

Erik threw away his empty plate and stepped to Devika. He took the bags from her.

"Thanks, Erik. That was a struggle," Devika said.

Her eyes took in Giselle.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Good. I have to head over to the mini-lab. Where do you need to take these?" he asked.

"You're in luck, these actually need to go to the lab. The morning crew forgot to take these. Extra sample slides and tubes."

"Cool. I'ma head out. Holla at me later?"

His eyes gazed at Giselle.

"Maybe."

He grinned and walked with Devika.

"Are you two dating?"

"Me and Giselle? I wish."

"She doesn't like you?"

"I think she does, but she has this thing about being professional and not fraternizing while working together. Stupid."

"It's not stupid, Erik. Sometimes mixing business and pleasure backfires. I made that mistake once…"

Devika's eyes darted away from his and they both saw Tony walking toward them. Stark's eyes took in Devika and Erik knew immediately who she was talking about.

"Stevens," Tony said.

"I'm on top of stuff."

"I know you are. Lab?" he said pointing the bags.

"Yeah."

"I'll head over with you. I have a free twenty minutes so I'll show a little face…Devika I need to cancel dinner with Hartzel and Cook tonight."

"This is the third time—"

"I know. I just don't have the energy for those guys right now."

Tony walked ahead of them and Erik kept up with the bags. Devika pulled out a tablet and canceled Tony's evening plans.

The mini-lab was a replica of one of Stark Industries' actual working labs. It gave students the opportunity to see real-world applications with hands-on experience first-hand. Tony swept in to the usual fanfare and Erik handed off the lab supplies to another intern.

Erik walked around the finished lab and was shocked to see a microscope that he wanted to use back in L.A. but had no private access to. There was also other equipment he needed to be able to test the vibranium. The irony. The shit he needed but couldn't use in Los Angeles was right in front of him for little kids to play with.

Erik walked over to Samira the lab coordinator.

"Is there an evening shift?" he asked.

Samira glanced at her tablet and swiped the screen a few times.

"I have enough people, but if you want to hang out—"

"Yeah, put me on the list," he said while calculating what he would need to be able to run a discreet experiment out in the open.

###

Erik slipped past Samira and three other interns as they shut down the mini-lab for the night. He volunteered to power down all the science equipment, clean them, and pre-set them for Saturday morning so Samira and company could go eat dinner and take off early.

The vibranium was in his pocket and he moved to the back of the lab and snagged the tools he needed to take a sample of the metal and test it. He needed to be in and out of the convention center by ten and it was already seven at night. Three hours to do as much as he could to learn the properties of the metal. He would have to use episcopic illumination carefully. He had several options to choose from, so he opted to use crossed polarizing filters first until he saw that the amount of equipment in the lab was extensive enough to go full out. He decided to go with a differential interference contrast using unstained samples of the vibranium. Time was of the essence.

He worked fast and printed up results as they came, erasing any traces of his use of the equipment, including printouts of data. He felt jumpy as he heard footsteps move back and forth in the front of the entrance.

By the time he collected what data he could in the amount of time that he had, Erik was already strolling to his hotel room with his head full of wonder. Vibranium was not from earth. It had no trace of any elements found on the planet he walked on. His father and his people had been using something literally from outside of the world. The discovery actually made his hands shake as he took out his room keycard. He was excited. Dumbfounded. Even more curious. Aroused in a way that made his skin tingle.

He opened his door and across the hall, Giselle opened her door and put an empty room service tray on the ground.

Dressed in a hotel robe, her eyes met his as she stood up.

"You're back late," she said, a sly smile on her face.

Erik walked over to her door and slipped his left hand behind her neck and his right hand around her waist. Giselle's eyes had that same look she gave him at lunch, and when he crashed his lips on hers, he knew he wasn't leaving her until what needed to be done was done.


	14. Chapter 14

"_**Don't want to be no where but here  
No where in this atmosphere  
Stratosphere, ionosphere  
Ain't no sphere that's bright like here  
Don't want to be no where but here  
No where in this atmosphere  
I'm good where I am**_

_**Baby slow down, take your time  
You and me goin' be here for a while  
Okay, hey  
I got so much that I want to do  
But I can show you better than I can say…"**_

_**Mos Def/Yasiin Bey – **_**"The Panties"**

He kept Giselle on her back in his bed all night.

Seducing her out of her room into his had been easy. Her mouth on his let him know she was aching to be with him.

He was mentally high because of the vibranium, and whenever his mind was whirling with excitement, his body was sure to follow, and he picked Giselle up and carried her back across the hall to his room where she disrobed the moment he closed his door.

She undressed him before they were kissing again and she sat down on the edge of his bed taking his erection in her hand and stroking it a few times before wrapping her eager lips around the head. He held one hand on her head and pumped into her throat. She took him right to the edge before he dropped to his knees and pushed her legs back so he could lick and suck her folds.

She was succulent and so ready for his dick. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her face. She didn't talk, even when he spoke soft words of encouragement about how much he loved eating her pussy, but she did make soft moans that made his dick jump from the sound. Before she could cum all over his lips, he stood back up and shoved his length back into her hot mouth.

"Take this nut, girl."

Her head tilted back and she rubbed her pussy lips with two fingers moving rapidly back and forth. He gasped and called out her name as semen splashed in her mouth and on her face. He beat his meat a little more and groaned when more ejaculate shot out on her cheek. She came then, her own nimble fingers making her scream his name as she stared up at Erik, his own face still scrunched up from his orgasm.

Staring at her face, he knew he only wanted to do missionary with her. She had his skin on fire and he walked to his bathroom to grab a warm towel to clean her face. He grabbed a few condoms from his sink and returned to her side. She was already sprawled out on his bed and he joined her for more vigorous kissing.

"We working right? This ain't fraternizing," he teased and she laughed until he licked her nipples and took his time exploring her breasts. Her fingers traced around his balls until he was hard again.

"Why you make me wait this long?" he sighed into her ear.

He ate her out slowly until her vulva spasmed on his lips and then he rolled a condom onto his dick with her help. He stroked her face and ran his fingers down her body. Opening her thighs wide, Giselle watched him enter her wet center.

"Fuck your shit is tight!" he shouted.

Her hands pressed onto his stomach and her eyes stayed on his thickness as he stretched her out. His eyes dropped down to watch his dick, and he shouted again when he saw she had a pussy that gripped and didn't let go even when he slid in and out. The inner and outer lips were stretched tight around him. She lifted her legs up and he pushed them back for leverage, his eyes never leaving the sight of tight wet pussy sliding on his sheathed pole.

"Giselle…damn…why you keep this pussy from me?"

Her head whipped back and forth until he hit a spot inside of her that made her keep her head on his pillow to one side as she panted out his name with syrupy sweet moans that made him stop looking at her sticky goodness and focus on her face. He was so turned on watching her take his thrusts. The suction sound of his dick entering her made his ears happy.

"You tryna make a nigga empty out his balls again…shit…"

Pressing his full weight down on her, Giselle clawed his back and her heavy pants made sultry music in his ears once more. Winding his hips slowly, her grunts under him made him clench his glutes.

"You takin' all this meat, baby…like a good girl should…"

"Erik…hmmm…!"

She shouted his name several more times before he shifted back onto his knees to watch her face again and to slow stroke deep within her walls. He could see how his stretching her out had made her wetter, his condom was glossy with fresh slick.

Wiggling around on his length, Giselle started to go crazy with it and she had him twisted up around her finger now. She left a wetter trail down the condom and he knew she was a true rider when she wrapped her legs around his waist and grabbed his ass tight. Now she was giving him that ooh-ooh because that was all that was falling out of his mouth as his back hunched up. He was feeling the fuck out of her pussy and he wondered if she was going all out to impress him or if this was her normal fucking…cuz if it was…

"Fuck, Ma…I feel that shit…I feel it…shit…"

His balls were slapping her ass hard and were slathered with the juices spilling from her. He gripped her legs and pushed them up higher so he could watch her face again. That was the best part of sex with her. Watching her heavy-lidded eyes take in his face full of lust for her.

"I been shoulda had this pussy, girl. Look how you taking my shit…look how you taking it—"

Her small breasts looked so pretty bouncing, and his condom was so slick that it was making obscene noises in her pussy.

"I'ma buss in this pussy all night—"

"Hmmph…"

Her eyes shut tight when his fingers thrummed around her clit.

"…pussy so tight on my dick…fucking my shit so good…"

Giselle's hips snapped up and her legs shook in his arms. The look her eyes gave him as her pussy spasmed all around his dick made him erupt hard and he broke the condom.

"Fuck!" he shouted as he allowed the rest of his semen to coat her walls with thick ejaculate. He pulled out and the tattered prophylactic gave way to his creamy cum flooding out of her gushy slit.

"Damn…sorry Giselle."

He pulled away from her and threw the destroyed condom into the wastebasket.

Giselle stayed limp on his bed, her body glistening with the sheen of happily earned sweat.

"It's okay, we're good," she said.

He slid next to her.

"I'm on Prurit if you want to check my status. I'm clean," he said.

He felt like he was talking too much and killing the vibe.

"I use Prurit too, Erik. We're good."

"I can show you—"

She lifted up and touched his mouth.

"Shut up and kiss me."

He did as he was told and she let him hit it the rest of the night raw and nasty.

###

Room service was at the hotel door fast with good timing.

Erik enjoyed Giselle working him over on top as he relaxed under her. He didn't think he had any sperm left in him, but he soaked her walls again with a good hard morning nut to start his day.

She was mad wild in bed and he loved every moment with her. She had him hollering all night and he felt bad for anyone in the next room to his because he did not hold back. A nigga was hoarse as fuck.

"We better eat this food and run, cause we are going to be late if we don't," he said opening the door.

Mistake.

He should've checked the peephole.

"What happened to you last night? You should've texted me…"

Athena bustled past him and started unbuttoning her top before Erik could stop her. His eyes darted over to his king-size bed and Athena saw Giselle butt naked and soaked in his cum.

Athena closed her eyes for a second and then glared at Erik.

"So…that's why," she said.

She didn't sound mad, or hurt, or even disappointed.

Giselle sat on his bed looking puffed-up and self-satisfied. She reached for her robe that sat on the floor and took her time pulling it around her.

"See ya later, Erik," Giselle said.

"Yeah…um…see you at the mini-lab…"

"You should've called or texted me, Erik," Athena said.

"My bad. I got back here hella late and then I just lost track of time and—"

The slap from her hand knocked the last words he tried to say out of his mouth.

"Don't hit him!" Giselle shouted pushing Athena away from him.

Erik held his face, the sting from her open palm exacerbated by the scratch of her nails that went with it.

Athena pushed back from Giselle.

"Just have some respect for people's time when you make plans. If you weren't going to follow through…you know what…forget it."

She tossed a small bag onto his bed.

"Athena, hold on—"

He grabbed her hand and she yanked it back.

"Giselle, just go," he said holding the door open for her.

"Don't let her put hands on you, Erik—"

"I got this, Giselle, please…I'll call you later—"

"Don't count on it!" Athena called out.

Giselle left him with worry on her face. He closed the door.

Grabbing the bag from his bed, he opened it. A Danish and some orange juice sat inside it.

"Thanks for breakfast," he said.

Athena rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. Glancing at his messy bed she shook her head.

"You didn't waste any time. She spent the night with you?"

He kept his mouth shut.

"Erik, I don't care that she slept with you. I'm not upset about that. I'm pissed that you never returned my calls. I was worried. Samira said she left you at the mini-lab last night. I called you twice. I bought dinner for you because I know you skip meals when you work late. I just get pissed when people don't follow through with plans and don't let me know anything."

"I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional…I just got caught up."

She nodded.

"I'll see you later—"

"You not just saying that right? Can we be cool? Do you accept my apology?"

"We can be cool. Later. I'm still ticked, but I'll live."

"Give me a minute," he said.

He ran into his bathroom and showered. Brushing his teeth, he decided not to shave, letting the dark new growth stay put. He doused a bit of cologne on his body and wrapped a towel around his waist.

She was still in his room when he came back out much to his relief.

Getting caught with Giselle was not in his plans and he scolded himself internally for not calling her. He should've stayed in Giselle's room.

He wolfed down the Danish she bought for him and washed it down with the small can of juice. Athena stood by the hotel window looking out at the skyline of Manhattan. She wore a beautiful tangerine colored body con dress and open-toed heels. Her hair was slicked back and her make-up was on point.

He walked up behind her.

He'd been busted before with messing around, but he felt bad this time because he honestly hadn't meant to ignore her. He got caught up with the vibranium trying to study it fast and then when he arrived at the hotel, his mind was spinning and then he saw Giselle…in a robe…

He wrapped his arms around her chest and pressed his cheek against hers.

"You got me dinner yesterday?"

"Tri-tip with the barbecue baked beans and greens that you like from the restaurant."

"Damn. You still have it?"

"In my room's mini-fridge."

"I'll have that for lunch today, but let me take you out to make up for it."

"You think I want to go out with you again?"

He nuzzled her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ma. I'ma keep telling you that."

He kissed her neck and she pulled away from him but he pulled her back against him. His lips danced across her earlobe and he heard her give a gentle hiss when he stuck the tip of his tongue in her ear.

"You were supposed to be with me last night," she sighed.

"Sorry, baby…"

His fingers ran up and caressed the tips of her breasts.

"The way she was looking, I know you fucked her good. Didn't you?"

He snaked his tongue in her other ear and she pushed back against him, her hands reaching out and pressing against the window.

His fingers pulled back the top of her dress and bra releasing her breasts.

"Didn't you?" she asked again.

"Yeah…I did…"

Athena groaned into the window and he rocked his hips into her.

"I fucked her right before you walked in here. Had her creaming on my dick raw…"

Nipples hard, ass soft, Athena gasped when she felt his nature rising against her. He let the towel drop from his hips.

"Got my dick real hard again. You must want me to fuck you like I did her, huh?"

Athena whimpered. He yanked her dress up and ripped her panties off. Her lacy undies fell to the floor.

He gripped his erection and dragged it against her slit.

"You must've been wet thinking about me this morning when you walked over here."

He poked his glans right at her entrance.

"Can I dick you down raw like her?"

She knew his status and he knew hers. They were good, but she hadn't let him do her like that yet.

Athena reached back and pulled her ass cheeks apart. He pushed in to the hilt.

"You still mad at me?"

He gripped her neck and squeezed it and held her arm with his other hand.

"Yes," she admitted.

He fucked her gently.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to fuck her pussy hard in my bed…"

The groan that fell from Athena's lips made his dick rock hard in her pussy. She was definitely a freak getting off on him fucking someone else. And he loved it. He stoked the flames higher.

"I beat that pussy up…had that bitch cumming all night—"

"Fuck me…fuck me like that—"

"I'ma fuck you good and hard. I messed up baby…I nutted all in her tight pussy…"

Athena threw her ass back on him, he could hear and see her big tits smacking together. He loved the way the weight of them hung down and jiggled as he pounded her.

"I was balls deep in her, just like I am now…deep in that pussy."

"You should've called me…fuck…let me know you were okay…I wanted this dick so bad last night…"

"I'm sorry…shit…I'm sorry…I'll make it up to you baby…I promise…ah fuck…taking this dick so deep. I'ma let you feel these balls too…"

He rocked on his heels and thrust up into her hard, lifting her onto her toes. The smacking of their bodies was loud and his nut sack grew tight enough to make his lips curl up with tension. He cradled her heavy breasts in his hands and let her rock back onto his length.

"Catch this nut!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah…oh shit…you gone get all this…right now…oh bitch…you getting this cum!"

His legs shook and his ass clenched squeezing every ounce out of his balls. His dick pumped so hard into her he thought he would pass out.

He staggered back out of breath and she turned around to look at him with so much wanton lust in her eyes. He couldn't believe the sex these two women were giving his greedy young ass.

Athena took her fingers and touched his lips.

"You are forgiven," she announced.

He picked her up and tossed her on the dry side of his massive king-sized bed.

"I got some more making up to do."

He would be late for his meeting with Tony but…

…fuck it.


	15. Chapter 15

"_**Can't get you off my mind**__**  
**__**You're like my favorite song **__**  
**__**Just want to turn you on**__**  
**__**And work you all night long 'cause I (oh I)**__**  
**__**I just want to be your man (I just want to be your man)**__**  
**__**All around the world**__**  
**__**This goes out to girls all around the world…"**_

_**Lloyd—**_**"Girls Around the World"**

"What's going on with you? You looked frazzled, Stevens."

Tony watched Erik lumber into the conference room carrying a stack of folders. He walked around the oval conference table arranging the folders for an afternoon meeting as Tony wrapped up his morning conference with his marketing team. Erik's lackluster energy was too obvious despite the two cups of espresso he downed at the coffee shop before coming to work.

"Just tired. Been doing some all-nighters for Janine and Manuj."

It was the partial truth. He had been doing some extra work for his project manager and her right-hand man, but the truth was, he was physically worn out.

From sex.

A lot of sex.

A lot of sex with Giselle and Athena.

He did his best to alternate his fun time with them, but as healthy and seemingly replenishable his body was at his age, a young playa couldn't keep up with the demands. He was fucking both women at least twice a day. Athena in the mornings before going to work, and Giselle in the evenings when he returned to the Oakwood at night. On weekends it could be more depending on where he was on his time off while alternating between the two women. The constant dick appointments were wearing a young nigga thin. He wasn't getting enough sleep. He now found himself avoiding the women for the past three days just to get a break. He didn't want to say no to either of them because he didn't want to cut off the relationships. He literally had two fuck buddies and also Janine his immediate boss to juggle for work and there were only a few weeks left in the internship. As his father used to say to Erik when he was a child, Bast be a rock.

The women themselves knew full well that he was messing around with them both at the same time, and there was an unwritten rule that neither of them would make a big deal about it as long as there was no overlap. Erik kept the trysts discreet, but sometimes there was tension when they all had to be in the same space for intern meetings and social gatherings conducted by Tony. During those times, Erik made himself scarce, hanging near Curtis or Maria, and often times using Valentina as a buffer since neither of the women liked her too much.

His mind was really stressing now because Tony was planning a yacht party off the coast of Malibu and all the interns were invited to celebrate the ending of the internship. That meant close contact with both women at the same time. Yikes.

"Stevens, look at me."

Erik stopped in front of Tony. The man poured Erik a glass off water from the reception table and Erik drank it down.

"You're dehydrated…I see bags under your eyes…what's going on? Janine working you too hard? Too many projects?"

"Nah…I'm good. For reals—"

"You don't look good."

Tony poured more water into his glass and Erik took his time drinking. The water eased the throbbing in his right temple. Shit, he really was dehydrated.

"Take better care of yourself."

"I will."

Erik reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Tony.

"What's this?"

Tony glanced at the list of numbers.

"Bank accounts. My player's fee, remember?"

Tony had finally gotten around to offering compensation for his prowess in Poker. The man's face gave him a smirk.

"I'll have your fee deposited by the end of the day."

"Lotta zeroes, bruh, spread evenly" Erik encouraged with a smirk of his own.

Tony glanced at his watch then shoved the paper into his shirt pocket.

"The next team is ready for you, Mr. Stark."

Devika held open the conference room door.

"Do you want me to stick around?" Erik asked.

"Yeah, you can fill in for Bryan. He's out for the rest of the day. Do me a favor can you go up and bring me my touchpad and the Robbins folder from my office desk? Devika can get it for you."

A new department swept in past Devika, and Erik followed her out toward the bank of elevators on the fifth floor. Erik glanced at Devika's clothes. She dressed spiffily every day, but today the drip was real, and Erik's eyes glossed over her naked legs in her teal mini-skirt and matching mini-blazer. Devika was fine, but far away fine...untouchable fine…not interested in any game Erik tried to spit but nice about it fine. He used to compliment her all the time about her sartorial choices when he flirted with her his first two weeks at the internship, but she looked at him like he was corny, so he kept his mouth shut. But he was always looking at her. She seemed to like it.

He appreciated the working relationship he had with her. She was always looking out for him, making sure he ate during the day and forcing him to leave the building when he lost track of time on the job.

"Are you losing weight?" she asked as they walked together.

"Maybe, haven't been eating a whole lot lately."

"You look thinner in the face. I'll order you a couple of burgers for lunch."

"You always take care of me."

"Because you don't. I like you heavier, not thinner—"

"Oh, so you admit you like me?"

"You are the worst flirt, you know that, right?"

"Flirting? Moi?"

Her eyes danced across his face and he gave her some dimples. She rolled her eyes.

"Ah damn," he sighed looking past Devika's face.

Giselle.

Heading his way.

He swiped his intern card on the elevator scanner for the executive suites and thank God they opened immediately.

"Erik!"

Giselle moved faster to get to him but the doors swept closed with an easy hum and Erik leaned against the bronze elevator wall as if to make himself invisible. Devika just gave him a strange look and when they reached Tony's floor, he breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't deal with Giselle at the moment.

Devika gave Erik access to Tony's inner office to get his touchpad and paperwork.

"I'll text you to pick up your lunch. Don't ignore it," Devika said as he headed out.

Mind occupied, Erik rounded a corner to sneak a quick chat with Curtis to ask about playing a pick-up game at the Oakwood after work, and he spotted Athena rounding another corner. He pretended not to see her even though she saw him and he hoofed it back to the elevators.

A group of people waited for rides back down, and there was no way he could wait, so Erik made a mad dash back to Tony's office.

"You forget something?" Devika asked when he swept in.

Erik grabbed for the knob of Tony's inner office door, but it was locked.

"What are you doing?"

Erik's eyes darted around, nowhere to hide…except…

He scrambled across Devika's legs as she sat in her chair and dove under her desk clutching Tony's touchpad and folder.

"Erik-?"

"Shh, you didn't see me!"

Hunched under the desk, Erik heard Athena walk in. Devika blocked his body with her legs.

"Hi Devika, is Erik in here?"

Erik tapped Devika's leg.

"Uh, no, he was here a few minutes ago. He picked up some stuff for Mr. Stark. He should be heading down to the main conference room."

"Okay. Thanks—"

"Did you need something from him?"

Erik's eyes pleaded with Devika to shut up. He could see her face from under her large heavy desk. He was lucky she didn't have the chrome and glass furniture like Tony's office.

"Nothing in particular. Just wanted to chat with him. Haven't seen him in a couple of days."

"I'll let him know you were looking for him if he comes back up."

"Thanks."

Erik closed his eyes with relief.

Devika stared down at him.

"What was all that about?"

"You don't want to know."

"You are as bad as Tony."

She reached down to help him out, but when he gripped her hand, she shoved him back down. Erik reached for her legs to keep his balance and held onto her thighs.

"Is Erik here?"

Fuck.

Giselle.

"No."

"I saw him with you, so I thought he came up here."

"Should be back down with Mr. Stark. Afternoon meeting."

"Huh…I thought he would be with his project manager."

"Not today."

"Okay, thanks."

"I'll let him know you were looking for him. He seems to be very popular today. Athena was looking for him just a second ago."

Erik's face grew tight.

"I guess he is," Giselle said.

Erik waited with bated breath, his fingers clutching Devika's thighs.

His eyes dropped down to look at his hands and he could see her legs were parted wide enough where he could see under her short skirt.

His lips curled up when he saw she had on a blue thong and it could barely cover her vulva. Part of it was wedged in her folds. Erik clutched her thighs a little harder to keep his bearings.

"Bye," Devika said.

As exhausted as he was with Giselle and Athena, there was no pussy like new pussy and Erik could not stop himself from staring. Devika had a nice fat vulva. He wanted to put his mouth on it.

"Erik?"

Her voice made him raise his eyes up. His lips parted and his fingers slid down from her naked thighs to her knees, He widened them. She pushed against him but he was stronger. She tried pulling down her skirt, but there was nothing she could pull down.

"You can come out now," she whispered.

His eyes drifted back to looking between her legs. Her buttery brown thighs looked soft and he wanted to push them back so bad.

"Erik."

She must've seen the growing lust in his eyes because her own stare took on a whole different look.

His index fingers rubbed gentle circles on her knees and he slid his hands back up her outer thighs. She didn't try to close her legs at all. He dragged his eyes back to her center.

"I can see your pussy, Devika."

He felt her legs shudder. He squeezed her thighs.

"Pretty pussy…nice fat one…"

Her saw her vulva throb.

She reached for her skirt again.

"Nah, move your hand."

She did what she was told to do.

"Pull your thong to the side, lemme see it all. I just wanna see it, Devika."

He licked his lips and his gaze drifted back up to her face.

He waited for her to either cuss him out and call HR or Tony…or pull them panties back as he asked.

Her body was responding to his touch. He could hear her breathing getting heavier.

"If you don't want to. It's cool. You just…you got me turned on right now and I'm just being blunt with it, Ma. Sexy as fuck right now. I'm under a damn desk and there's pretty pussy in my face. I'm gonna react. On God, girl, you got a nigga feeling thangs."

She chuckled breaking the tension.

Her fingers slid down under her skirt.

She was going to do it?

He felt his heart race.

"Fuck, Devika…"

Panties slid to the side he saw all of her glory. Part of her thong caught a bit of glistening natural lubricant and spread it across her inner lips. He pushed her thighs open even wider.

"Play with your pussy."

He shifted back onto his backside and felt his dick thicken watching her folds ooze fresh slick from her insides. Her short red fingernails stood out against the cozy brown of her vulva and the pink of her slit. She rubbed her swollen clit and he groaned—

-until Tony and three other men walked into the outer office.

"Hey, did Stevens make it up?"

Devika's eyes darted down to his as she slammed her legs together.

"He left a few minutes ago. A couple of interns came looking for him, so he may be caught up in something," she answered. There was no tension in her voice.

"Text him and let him know he can bring my touchpad up when he's done. Tell him to drop off that folder I asked for to Davidson's office. It's not confidential so if Davidson's gone to lunch he can leave it with his secretary."

Devika reached for her cell on her desk. Erik grabbed his cell from his back pocket and made sure it was on mute.

"Guys, is it okay if we just meet out here?" Tony said.

Fuck.

He heard the group shuffle over to Tony's outer office meeting space. Erik couldn't crawl out because they would see him. Why couldn't he meet in his inner office? He shifted under the desk as quiet as he could to keep his circulation going in his cramped legs.

The men were loud and quite comfortable and Erik could hear them getting up from time to time to use Tony's expensive Italian coffee maker. Devika's eyes met his a few times and she just shrugged at him. He'd have to wait it out and hope Tony didn't ask for him.

Devika sat in her seat, and as Tony's meeting progressed, her legs opened wider torturing Erik under the desk. She pulled her chair close bringing her fat vulva even closer. Teasing him wasn't helping him in his cramped state, so he took advantage and stroked her legs starting at her ankles and working his way up to her thighs again. She pretended to type on her laptop, but Erik knew she was actually enjoying him being trapped between her legs.

She squirmed a bit in her seat and Erik pushed back her skirt. Feeling bold, he reached up with his right hand and touched her outer lips, the clipped pubic hairs already slick. He traced his fingers up through her engorged inner labia and pinched her clit. He saw her eyes squeeze shut as she kept as quiet as a church mouse. Her legs quaked around his arms and he dipped two fingers into her wet slit. Her mouth fell open and the desire he saw in her eyes made the root of his dick throb hard in his pants.

Moving is fingers in and out of her with slow gentle thrusts, he could hear the stickiness getting louder with his manipulation. He wiggled his fingers back and forth to hit her walls and her legs bounced up and almost hit the underside of her desk. He glanced down at the bulge in his pants. They were being so reckless, and he didn't care.

"Devika, could you darken the walls please," Tony called out.

She leaned over to the side and Erik knew she was using a remote to make the glass walls of his outer office darken with a tinting fixture so no one could see what was going on inside. When she leaned back into position, Erik slipped his fingers back inside of her, digging in her a little deeper. He watched his digits work her slowly and her pussy pulsed, opening and closing around his fingers, a bit of creamy fluid spilling out when he took his fingers all the way out to play with her clit. Erik loved when a woman's pussy opened and closed with pleasure, the spasms pushing the bottom half of her vulva with light rhythmic pulses. The movement reminded Erik of a heartbeat. He wondered how it would feel around his dick. He whispered things to her moving his lips but not letting any sound come out. She could tell he was saying filthy things to her and her pussy and mouth reacted by both opening and closing. Erik's fingers were shiny and milky from her juices and when he poked his lips out to keep from groaning, Devika's mouth opened wider and her eyes slammed shut as he felt her pussy cum all around his fingers. The tight pulls nearly made him nut in his pants as he watched her soft wet pinkness kiss and suck his digits with hard tugs. The spasm petered out after a few minutes and Erik pulled his fingers out and licked them. She tasted good. Her pussy kept twitching and her pink slit acted like it needed his fingers back inside it again.

Devika cradled her face with her hands and he rubbed her thighs to calm her shaking legs.

Tony and company left for lunch after an hour.

Erik crawled from under the desk with cramped legs and a tight back. With the office blacked out from the outside, he sought out Devika's lips and she accepted them.

"Lock the door," he whispered in her ear.

Devika did with a wave of her hand, and he lifted her onto her desk.

Whatever fatigue he felt from fucking Athena and Giselle dissipated the moment Devika took him raw, hot, and oh so ready.


	16. Chapter 16

"_**I guess you've heard of my reputation**__**  
**__**I've had my share of foolin' around**__**  
**__**But everybody needs stimulation**__**  
**__**And mine just happens to be all over town**__**  
**__**It's an easy money occupation**__**  
**__**A first-class psychiatry**__**  
**__**But just once, I'd like to make love without taking off my clothes**__**  
**__**Just once, I wanna make love with somebody who really and truly knows**_

_**Contrary to rumor, gigolos get lonely too**__**  
**__**All my lovers need stimulation**__**  
**__**But honey, babe, I think that I need you…"**_

_**The Time**_**—"Gigolos Get Lonely Too"**

The coochie made his eyes water at how juicy it was.

If someone were to tell Erik Stevens that he would be fucking Tony Stark's personal secretary on her desk in the middle of the day, he wouldn't have believed it. Serving her raw dick and ejaculating inside of her not once but twice.

Balancing her near the edge of her workspace, Erik held Devika's legs open as she leaned back on her elbows watching his face. He couldn't keep his eyes off of his dick pumping in and out of her. He kept a nice slow pace with his thrusts only going about halfway in her just so he could see her pussy lips curve around the perfect wide head of his dick as she panted out his name.

She had a heady way of saying, "Yes…yes…yes…" as he penetrated her and then he would go deep for harder, faster thrusts and her voice would become a high-pitched chorus of "Oh! Oh! Oh!" before he had to pull out fast to keep from cumming. When he slid out of her he kept his eyes on her opening to watch a small trickle of juices gushing out as her slit opened and closed with involuntary contractions from his pounding.

He knew the pussy was getting to him when his voice became gravelly with need. The rhythm of his fucking her was five to six slow thrusts, about ten fast hard ones, and then pulling out to watch her vulva throb and her pink walls to gape open. She controlled the pace and depth of his dick handling her body by the way she sounded in his ear. His girth was heavy on her canal and after plunging into her for more than ten minutes, her pussy stayed open and he could see the glistening wet tunnel he made fucking her. When he fucked her with that aggressive hardness, her walls would spasm and clench releasing more of her sticky goodness. He became fixated on her pussy, forgetting all about her breasts or her lips. He grit his teeth when she bucked her hips and her ass cheeks slapped against his groin making it slippery from the frothy juices spilling from her plump folds.

"You 'gon pull out this nut," he huffed out. His eyes began to blur and lose focus as her pussy cradled his length. Her vaginal muscles did internal tricks that tugged on his erection. He lunged forward and she yelped in pain.

"Careful," she blurted out adjusting her hips on the desk.

"My bad," he gasped.

The fingers of her right hand touched the back of his scalp and when they rested there cradling his neck, his eyes sought out hers. Her lips were pursed and, in his excitement, he plunged too deep again. She grimaced.

"Erik…you can't…hold up…"

She shifted again and lowered her legs to a different angle.

"Sorry…"

"You're just a little bigger than I'm used to so you're hitting the back a little too hard."

He switched up his strokes so he didn't strike her cervix again.

"Better?" he asked trying to please her.

"Yeah…keep doing it like that…fuck…yes…yes...yes…oh…shit…like that…."

"Your pussy can handle it now?"

"Don't get cocky."

"Too late, you getting all this black cock."

"Ugh, I hate that word."

"Cock?"

"Terrible."

He laughed and she shook her head giving a slight frown.

"But you said the word 'cock' by saying cocky. Don't make no sense—"

"This dick don't make no sense…God…yes…yes…ooh…"

She licked her lips and Erik leaned forward pressing his mouth over hers with a big loud smooch. Her head tilted back and her eyes gazed up at the ceiling. He reached down and clamped his ring and index fingers around her clit pulling down on them until the sensitive nub was rubbed up against the skin between them. He made scissor motions before tapping her clit with a hard flick that made her hips buck up again. She pulled his head back down toward her and smashed her lips against his licking the smooth skin of the seam and forcing her tongue down his throat. He threw her legs over his shoulders and rocked into her with a force that had her ass lift up to match his speed. Her pussy was a sloppy mess by then. His eyes were up close to hers and he could feel her warm cinnamon smelling breath tickling his nose. When he slid his tongue across hers, she could taste the espresso he had earlier.

"Can I cum in your pussy?"

He felt his slacks fall down further from his knees. His boxers still clung to his thighs. She only panted as he drove his hips into her. He slowed down to enunciate what he wanted and to make sure he had her full attention.

The slow drag in and out of her stretched pussy broke her down, and her voice cracked as she cried out his name.

"Let me cum in this pussy, girl…"

He was already hitting skins raw with her. Might as well drown her exceptional pussy in the cum that was making his balls throb so hard.

"You know I got a lot to give you with these big nuts…shit baby…say yes. Tell me you want me to nut all in you."

Pants tangled around his ankles and her heels slapping his firm ass cheeks, Erik started letting out forceful shouts of her name.

"Fuck me…Erik…fuck my pussy…"

"Devika, fuck!"

"YES!"

Her heavenly thighs squeezed his waist and he grunted trying to keep her under control with his weight on her. Quick puffs of breath from her lips tickled his ear and he pressed his mouth into her neck and licked the soft skin there before biting her. She squealed and her legs clenched tighter around him.

He tried kissing a yes out of her, finally letting her have his full lips and tongue for a length of time that made her pussy throb on his dick again. He felt his semen rising at the base of his shaft.

She only panted and called out his name softly now, barely able to speak and it made his dick grow harder inside her. He pumped into her fast and pulled out so he could watch her pussy quiver. Her head dropped down to stare at the girth that made her speechless, and her non-answer to his request forced him to sink into her halfway and release a biblical flood of semen.

He growled at her as his glutes tensed.

"Look what you makin' me do!"

He held still and let his veiny dick swell, then throb and spurt liquid heat into her. She rubbed three fingers across her clit as his cumload went into overdrive.

"Damn baby, look at this big dick spitting in your pussy!"

The final spurts weakened his legs and he eagerly fell back onto her desk chair and just stared at the beauty of her vulva.

"Lemme see it," he said.

Her eyes looked surprised by the request.

"Push my cum out, I wanna see it."

He spread her thighs back so that her heels dangled in the air.

Rubbing her clit again, Devika and Erik watched her pussy throb open and a deluge of his jizz spilled out onto her desk and dripped down to the floor.

"Fuck, Erik!"

Her three fingers became a blur rubbing her clit, and he watched her pink slit spasm into an intense orgasm that pushed more of his blinding white cum out in another thick rivulet that dripped to the floor with loud plops.

He put an Oaktown beat down on that pussy, and his dick was still stiff from watching her cum.

He wasn't done.

He pulled her off of the desk and forced her to turn around and bend over. He figured he might not get another chance to fuck her like that, so he took advantage. He kicked off his pants and underwear to make sure he didn't get cum all over them and plunged his length back into her still quivering pussy, shocking her body with the suddenness. He pushed her head and upper body flat on the desk while he gripped her hips and just fucked her until she was crying tears of pleasure.

"You ain't been fucked good in a minute, huh? Young dick got you twisted."

Her hands were outstretched in front of her, and she didn't even thrust back on him, so eager to have him do all the work. She poked that cute ass out for him and fondled his balls, letting the heft of them fill up her hand. It took him less than fifteen minutes to nut hard into her again, spilling a sizeable amount of cum while shouting her name. She came just as hard screaming for him to fuck her harder. Neither Giselle or Athena were getting his dick anytime soon. It would probably take him a couple of days to get back to normal after fucking this woman. Devika had him on lock.

When he pulled out this time, her fingers dropped between her legs and peeled back her labia to let him see all that he put inside of her. Her pussy spilled cum everywhere.

She gave a deep sigh and he slapped her ass cheeks twice.

Devika looked back at him with the most beatific smile on her face…and then the smile slid sideways as she glanced at a security monitor embedded in her desk.

"Fuck, Tony is heading this way with Kellerman!"

Erik scrambled to get his boxers and slacks back over his dress shoes as Devika frantically tried to clean up all of his semen on the floor and desk with Kleenex tissues. He placed Tony's touchpad on Devika's desk and clutched the folder he needed to deliver against his chest. He jumped away from Devika's desk just as Tony entered with Kellerman, one of the many accountants that worked for Stark Industries.

Glancing at Devika, he noticed her looking around her desk, her skirt not looking too rumpled.

"You haven't delivered that yet?" Tony asked.

Erik pointed to the desk.

"Brought back the touchpad—"

"Are you okay? You don't look any better. You're sweating," Tony said with concern in his voice.

Devika was shifting her stance, her knees locked together. She probably had cum running down her thighs. He glanced at the floor and almost jumped in his skin when he saw Devika's thong on the carpet. Erik made haste and walked toward Tony as Kellerman entered the inner office.

"Devika was actually going to give me a ride home. I came back up here because I'm really not feeling too good. Nausea and I feel like I have an elevated temperature…"

Erik stepped both feet on top of the thong.

"Good idea. Take my private exit Devika so he doesn't puke and spread his germs among the staff. Take two days, rest, and eat healthy stuff. I'll let Janine know to ease up on you when you come back."

Tony strode into his office and Erik snatched up her panties. He was about to hand them off to her when Tony stuck his head back out of his office door.

"Un-tint the windows, please," Tony said.

Devika did as he asked and he disappeared back into his office.

Nervous laughter trickled out of them both as Devika grabbed her purse and more tissue from her desk.

"Come on," she said.

He followed her to Tony's outer meeting space balcony door and through another private door that Erik knew nothing about.

"I could've escaped out through here," he said.

"No, he's the only one who can use this door. I only use it with his permission when I have to see certain clients out discreetly. He also monitors access."

"So we were meant to fuck."

"That was just a spur of the moment thing."

"Whatchu mean? Hold up, Devika…"

"Keep walking," she said. They reached a private elevator and entered quietly.

"I want to see you again…I want…I want to do this again."

"Oh, Erik. Listen. That was great…what we did…but—"

"Nah. I'm not tryna hear no buts. You were feeling me and I been feeling you for a long time. Is it the whole fraternizing thing? Cuz I can be discreet—"

"Erik, I know you are fucking Athena and Giselle. How discreet was that?"

"Where did you hear that type of slander? Giselle doesn't even like me—"

"Erik. Stop lying. Other people might not catch on outside of Tony's office, but when two women from two different departments on two different floors come looking for the same guy…and Giselle looked a little miffed when I mentioned Athena."

"That was luck and circumstance."

He tried to get next to her.

"Cameras, Erik. We can talk freely, but the great eye in the sky is always watching for Stark."

Erik moved away from her but still had pleading in his eyes.

"You do like me, right? I know I'm hella young compared to you, but I'm mature. Athena and Giselle are only a few years younger than you, so if they are fucking with me and you know they are grown, then you know I'm good. And they were both tracking me down, so you know I'm _good_ on repeat performances…"

She studied his face.

"Let's hang out together this weekend. If we don't gel, no harm no foul, and today can just be a little frisky one night stand."

They made their way to Devika's parking space in the building garage.

"Give me an answer."

"Get in the car, Erik."

###

He never left her condo the entire weekend.

He spit game to her and convinced her to take him to her place. It was raining and took a long time for her to get them safely across town. She received a call from Tony telling her that he was going to step out for the rest of the day and that she was free to clock out early.

Instead of going to the Oakwood to grab some clothes, Devika took Erik to a Target and he ran in and bought a few toiletries, underwear, a couple of sweats, and a cheap pair of kicks.

She spoiled him with good food, allowed him to drink wine with her, and let him fuck her day and night.

Being with her sexually was just the tip of the iceberg, talking with her and helping her cook meals allowed her to see he was more than a walking thot.

She liked old film noir and they curled up on her couch watching "Double Indemnity" and "Sunset Boulevard". She introduced him to Italian Giallo films and he liked how she pretended to be scared as they watched them so he would wrap his arm around her.

Their last night together in her place was spent with him laying on her living room floor with her bouncing on his dick facing away from him, seven-inch two-toned stilettos pressed into the sides of his hips as they sweated out intense love-making.

"You like me bouncing on this fat sack?" she panted.

Hot wet skin, hair falling in her face, voice pining for his moans, Devika was a creamy rider on his length.

"Creaming all over this dick, baby—"

"You like that?"

"I love it, keep bouncing bitch—"

Her fat pussy lips gripped him tight when he called her out of her name.

"Yeah, bitch…fuck that dick…fuck that big dick—"

Her fingers wrapped around his balls.

"Yeah, you like these big nuts—"

"Yeah—"

"Pop that pussy, baby, pop that pussy on my balls."

"Fuck, Erik! Beat this pussy up Daddy!"

He thrust up hard when Daddy fell from her hungry lips and his release had him shouting curse words that triggered her orgasm.

Erik was stroking her slick back and talking nasty to her when the front door opened unexpectedly and a behemoth of a man stepped in with take-out food and a bottle of wine.

"Fuck! Austin, what are you doing here?!"

Devika clambered off of Erik's dick and the light-skinned man stood in the doorway with such a look of shock on his face that Erik burst out laughing as he rolled over onto his knees to get up.

"What the fuck is going on Devika?!"

The man screamed like a wounded animal, and Erik had a flashback to being sixteen and fucking a girl that belonged to an old gangster and getting busted by him in the bed with his woman. A crazy feeling of déjà vu swept over Erik and he didn't have the good sense to put on some clothes while the giant stood there sizing him up as Devika ran to the intruder to try and shove him back out the front door.

It didn't work.

The giant slammed the door shut, dropped the food and wine, then lunged for a buck naked Erik.


	17. Chapter 17

"_**Can it be I stayed away too long  
Did I leave your mind when I was gone  
Well, it's not my thing trying to get back  
But this time let me tell you where I'm at**_

_**I want to, want to be where you are  
Anywhere you are  
I want to, want to be where you are  
Everywhere you are…"**_

_**Michael Jackson—**_**"I Wanna Be Where You Are"**

Pussy was Erik's kryptonite post-Naval Academy.

Busting a good nut had him off-kilter, so when Erik stood up to face Devika's unwanted visitor, his natural fighting instincts didn't kick in until the giant man had Erik pinned against a wall with his throat gripped in both of the man's powerful hands.

"Austin let him go!" Devika shrieked.

He couldn't breathe.

Oxygen was squeezed away from his brain cells and Erik felt faint before he felt the angry hard punch from a fist knocking the breath from his body. He fell to his knees and tried to protect his genitals as the man kicked at his balls.

Gasping for air, Erik punched up with his fists hoping to strike anything on the man's body but Austin was built like a brick wall and Erik's punches were like a toddler smacking a Pro wrestler. He lifted Erik up by his waist and slammed him on his knee making Erik holler in pain as he was tossed to the floor. A kick to Erik's right eye made the socket swell up tight crippling his vision.

"Fuck!" Erik yelled scrambling back on his legs while still trying to protect his dick from more injury.

Devika threw books from her bookshelf at Austin who deflected them and charged Erik once more.

"Shit!" Erik yelped hooking his fingers and immediately leaping to his feet and giving Austin a taste of Wakanda with his hands. It was hard for Erik to gage his accuracy because his eye was stinging like hell, but the grunts from Austin let him know the man was getting that work.

Keeping his body low, Erik knew he couldn't use his legs and feet too much because his dangly bits were flopping around dangerously exposed and throbbing with pain. His balls felt like they had swelled up to twice their size.

Devika got in his way trying to be helpful and he had to shove her aside to get at Austin. It took a head butt and a blur of fast fists into the man's stomach and sides to get him to back off. Erik swept his legs in a capoeira slice that would make his mother proud and Austin fell like a chopped tree onto the living room floor with a loud thud. The man groaned and grabbed for his ribs on the left side of his body. Erik felt like he had fractured a few. He held back from the full force of his blows. He didn't need any bones puncturing the man's lungs. Erik wasn't about to catch a murder rap over some pussy.

Erik crawled over to Devika's couch and rested his head on the cushion. He couldn't see anything out of his injured eye. Rolling over he rested his neck on the couch and stared at Austin who climbed to his feet with Devika's help.

"I can't believe you!" Devika shrieked striking Austin in his chest.

She grabbed her cell from her coffee table and stomped over to her front door flinging it open. She snatched a key from the outside keyhole.

"Don't come to my house again!"

"Devika—"

"Leave Austin."

"You are so wrong for this—"

"No one asked you to come here. I asked you for space and you disregard my privacy."

"Give me a chance—"

"Give you a chance, Austin?! Fuck! Just go! Don't make me call the cops."

Austin's eyes widened with surprise and his eyes swept over to Erik who peeped him with his one good eye.

"I might have some broken ribs—"

"Well, that's your goddamned fault."

Devika looked fierce standing naked with just her stilettos on with her hair bunched wildly around her face. If he wasn't in so much pain with a nut sack injury, Erik would be obliged to fuck her against the door just on general principle.

Shit. Looking that beautiful, he'd be open to another beat down just to see her like that again another time. She put that pussy on him like a G and he wasn't mad at Austin for going off on him because they both knew that bitch had that good-good poppin'.

Austin limped out of the condo and Devika slammed the door locking the bolts again. She bent down and picked up the food and wine Austin brought and put them on the coffee table. Kneeling down in front of him, she checked Erik's injuries. He hissed when she touched his privates. He didn't want to look down there to see how much damage there was. The good thing was, he didn't want any kids, so as long as his dick still worked, he could live without a ball or two.

Devika hastened over into her kitchen. She opened and closed her fridge and returned with saran wrap covering chunks of ice in both hands.

"Fuck!" he yelped as she placed the ice over his genitals. He held the ice in place as she put the other pack on his injured eye.

"Erik…I'm sorry…"

"Boyfriend?"

"Fiance."

"Damn. Got me in a serious triangle."

"We aren't together right now."

"Coulda fooled me."

"He used my spare key to come in here. I have it now, so he can't get inside again."

She touched his bruised waist and he ground his teeth huffing out air between his teeth.

"You feel like anything is broken?"

"Nah. My eye is fucked up and my balls hurt like shit."

"There's some swelling down there," she said looking under the pack he held on his nuts,

"Dick looks okay though."

He laughed and she started tittering herself.

"Oh shit...the look on his face when he came in. I didn't know what the fuck was happening," he said.

Devika laughed softly, but then her face grew serious.

"How are you going to go to work tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'll call in sick for a few more days."

"But you'll still have bruises healing on your face."

"Don't worry about."

He leaned forward and kissed her lips even with the pain he felt on his mouth.

"I'm sorry," she whispered caressing his face.

"Not your fault, Ma. It won't stop me from being around you. You still plan on marrying him?"

"We are on break for a reason—"

"On break ain't the same as broken up—"

"No. I don't want to be with him."

"Good, cuz when I heal up, I'm coming for you again."

"You are so reckless."

"But you like it."

"I do. I like you."

"Finally. I get my ass beat just to get the truth outcha mouth. I knew you were feeling me. Been frontin' all this time."

His eyes dragged over body.

"You so fuckin' sexy right now."

She helped him sit on her couch and he grunted when his balls shifted.

"If the swelling doesn't go down soon, I'll take you to urgent care," she said.

She opened the food that Austin brought.

"Chicken Alfredo. Hungry?"

They ate Austin's food and opened the expensive wine. Erik's scrotum didn't enlarge and the pain subsided. He kept icing his eye.

"You can stay here while you call out," she said.

He smiled. She wanted him with her.

Naked on the couch together, Devika stroked his scalp and when the last of the wine was sipped, Erik fingered her pussy until she came all over his hand.

###

Tony Stark stared at Erik's face in his office.

Erik fidgeted in his seat but kept direct eye contact.

Reaching into his desk drawer, Tony pulled out Devika's thong and placed it in front of Erik.

Fuck.

He thought he had shoved it deep into his own pocket safely when they left the office five days previous.

"Two things, Stevens. Devika is off-limits. Period."

Erik felt his lips press together tight. He flexed his fingers.

"Your focus needs to be on finishing this internship. Your other extracurricular activities are stirring up a little bit of dissension among your work peers. That is a no-no. Understand?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not going to ask about the shiner."

"Okay. You won't fire Devika, right?"

"She doesn't know I found these, and I will not mention to her that I know what went on in my office."

"Thanks."

"You can throw those away. No need to embarrass her. She's a good girl, Stevens. Impeccable. Let's keep it that way."

_Good girl?_

Erik didn't like the sound of that. It was too intimate and it was what Erik wanted her to be for him. He regarded Tony's face and thought of what Devika told him at the Expo about mixing business and pleasure. The two of them had something in the past. Was T blocking?

Tony glanced at his watch.

"Time for the intern meet up. Are you ready to discuss final schedules?"

"Can someone else do it?"

Erik's hand went up and touched his eye lightly.

"No. If you're worried about how your face looks, then you should've made better choices while you were out."

Erik cut his eyes away.

Tony stood and slipped on his suit jacket and buttoned it.

"Let's go."

Erik stood up and stuffed Devika's panties deep inside his pants pocket and zipped it up. They strode out of the office together and Erik let his eyes flicker over to Devika who was on the landline talking and swiping her laptop screen.

"Tony, Pepper needs you to give her access to the Rylex app."

"Will do."

Devika glanced at Erik and he was already wanting to stay behind and have lunch with her and shoot the shit just to be up in her face. He turned his head and followed Tony out.

"Please don't give Devika puppy dog eyes every time you see her," Tony whispered.

Erik rolled his eyes.

Six minutes later they entered the same cavernous hall that Erik sat in on his first day of the internship. He caught eyes taking notice of his face. Walking with Tony always made him stand out and he gave up being incognegro months ago. Stepping onto the stage with Tony and three other interns, Tony took in the room filled with eager faces. Many were still jealous of him and the favoritism they thought Tony gave him still.

"Good to see everyone. Thank you for being on time and ready to hear some important announcements as we start to wind down this year's group of interns. You've all worked very hard, made some outstanding contributions to your departments and Stark Industries as a whole. Today I'm going to have a few of your peers address you and then I will be introducing Mr. Sebastion Summerville who will give details about some other internships affiliated with my companies and also opportunities to find employment after you leave us. First up, Erik Stevens with some exciting updates in Biometrics."

Tony stepped aside and Erik approached a raised podium and adjusted the mic on it.

"Good morning, I will be taking a few questions at the end, so please wait until then before raising your hands…"

His eyes swept the room and he saw Giselle watching him from the left side and Athena hawking him from the right. They both looked pissy and Athena had her arms folded across her chest. He would have to tread carefully now that Tony was aware of his dalliances. How many more knew? There was only that one romp clubbing where he even showed Athena affection on the subway in New York, but the others in their entourage were far away from him when they kissed. Maria had no clue he had fucked Athena in the hotel while they watched tv, and even if she knew, she wouldn't blab to anyone because he was her homeboy. At least that's how she rolled with him. He searched his brain trying to think where he could've slipped up. He wasn't the type to brag to other dudes, so Curtis had no idea he was fucking other interns.

Erik finished speaking and turned off the images floating above him. He stepped aside to allow another intern to come forward and share data.

He sat down on the dais and kept his eyes on the podium.

He saw Devika slip into the room and stand by one of the exit doors with a leather-bound file folder in her hand. He swept his eyes away from her and wondered how he could keep away from her. He really and truly liked her. Liked talking with her all night long. Liked cooking food with her and listening to her talk about trifling Black men in Los Angeles and the pick me's so desperate to snag mediocre boyfriends. He liked laying next to her, listening to her breathe when she slept. He liked waking up to her and watching her brush her hair. She treated him like a man and not just a jump-off. He felt like he was adulting with her. Athena and Giselle were cool and fun, but they often made comments that referenced his age or made it seem like his being younger made him less aware or less experienced than them. They had no idea how many lifetimes he had to live just to make it to where he was now.

Ninety minutes after entering the room, they were all dismissed for lunch and Erik walked toward the exit. Devika walked his way.

"Nice work," she said tapping his shoulder with the folder.

Erik glanced back at Tony and his sharp eyes were already watching them.

"Thanks."

His voice held very little enthusiasm, and Devika picked up on it, her mouth frowning slightly.

He just wanted to be in her condo again, enjoying the feel of her hair splayed out on his thighs as he stroked her back while she laid on him watching tv from her couch. The quirk of her lips sparked desire in him again.

"I gotta go," he said abruptly and brushed past her without another word. When he reached the exit and looked back at her, she was still standing there watching him, a look of doubt on her face.

And Tony was watching her…still.

###

There was no sense avoiding them.

Erik caught up with Athena and Giselle as they all stood waiting for an elevator. Crowded around the other interns made him comfortable approaching them.

"'sup," he said.

They both looked at him. Giselle rolled her eyes, but Athena just gave him a passive stare.

"Been sick," he offered.

Athena looked at his still discolored eye.

"Fighting too?" she said.

"Can we all go get tacos later? My treat? We gotta talk."

"We?" Giselle interjected with some salt in her voice.

Erik checked to see if any others were listening but they were ignored because of the rush of bodies boarding the elevator. The doors closed and the three of them stepped aside for the next rush waiting on the next lifts.

Erik kept his voice confidential.

"I need to talk with ya'll. Serious shit, okay? I've had a rough two weeks and I need to vent some things."

Giselle's eyes softened and she lowered her left hand from her hip.

"Janine is driving me crazy...Stark is up my ass, and I need some advice."

The big sister angle.

Placing the onus on Janine and Boss Man would allow them to coddle him, deflecting his lack of attention on outside forces. He lowered his head and really gave them the full game.

"Poor thing," Athena said rubbing his arm, "why didn't you call us or say anything?"

"I'm trying to handle it on my own."

"How about we meet at Pacheco's after work? It's just around the corner." Giselle suggested.

"Cool. You down, Athena?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"I just want to bounce ideas off of you and see how I can handle those two. I just want to make it out alive these last few weeks."

Hook. Line. Bagged.

He separated from them and thought about kicking himself for not using Tony and Janine as a crutch to get out of the responsibility for dodging them.

Maybe he wasn't as mature as he thought.

He felt tense and used his intern key card to dip into one of the executive restrooms. No one was around so he locked himself inside one of the fancy fully enclosed stalls and pulled out Devika's panties. He sniffed them and could smell the lemongrass lotion from her thighs and the aroma of her folds. He wanted her.

Unzipping the fly on his pants he fished out his penis and pulled it through the opening. Fisting himself, he smelled her underwear again then imagined being between her legs and looking down at her face.

"Shiitttt, Devika," he gasped.

He circled the head of his dick smearing some of his pre-cum on her panties. But then the image of her naked in stilettos yelling at her fiancé yoked him up and thick semen shot out all over her underwear.

Cleaning off his fingers with toilet paper, he snatched out his cell and swiped the screen.

Fuck Tony.

"I gotta see you tonight," he whispered into his phone.

He couldn't prove it, but he felt like she was smiling on the other end.


	18. Chapter 18

"_**Friends tell me I am crazy  
And I'm wasting time with you  
You'll never be mine  
It's not the way I see it  
'Cause I feel you're already mine  
Whenever you're with me (oh, oh, oh)**_

_**People always talkin' 'bout  
Your reputation  
I don't care about your other girls  
Just be good to me…"**_

_**The S.O.S. Band**_**—"Just Be Good To Me"**

Erik laughed so hard that his stomach hurt.

Athena had the biggest lop-sided grin on her face as they both listened to Giselle go in on her project manager. Massacred plates of chicken taquitos, chimichangas, and ceviche sat piled around their table along with empty margarita glasses. The three of them spent two hours talking and cutting loose from work.

By the time they tumbled out of the restaurant, it was after nine in the evening.

"…no the Lyft will take us all home and you can pick up your car in the morning," Athena said to Giselle.

Erik called a Lyft for them all and within thirty minutes they were back at the Oakwood in front of Erik's unit. Shaking his legs out, Erik felt lightly buzzed and happy to have a full content belly. He was also happy that Athena and Giselle had squashed their past beef and were back to being cautious friends again. Erik could tell over dinner that they had a bond itching to come back together. Giselle finally conceded over a Cadillac margarita that she had been wrong about Athena, bringing both women to drunken tears and much-needed hugs. Both women had a lot of pride about getting to the top on their own merits, and Erik sensed they were both eager to mend their relationship, but too stubborn to face one another without feeling like the loser with their tail between their legs. It was good to see how they might have been back in college together. So much laughter and shared inside jokes. He felt a lot of camaraderie with the two of them and it was one of his best chill out with friends night he'd had in a long time.

Standing in front of his residence, both women were relaxed and attentive to him.

"Thanks for hearing me out and giving me suggestions on how to handle Janine and them," he said stretching his back.

"Three more weeks!" Giselle said holding out her fist.

"Three more weeks," he chimed back giving her a pound.

"See you fools later," Athena said. She reached over and gave Erik a big hug, "Keep your head up, you'll make it."

Erik kissed her cheek as he held onto her, but then the soft warm feel of her body in his arms did something to him and he rested his lips on her mouth. The kiss was gentle but promised more to come when she opened her lips and took his tongue. His hand slid down her gray blouse and gripped the meat of her ass.

He reached over and pulled Giselle in close and kissed her. The surprised look on her face didn't stop him from rubbing on her ass too. The expensive margaritas had him feeling frisky. Bold.

Neither one of the women pushed him away, and by the time he was sucking on Giselle's neck, Athena was already tugging on the erection that was poking hard against his slacks. He felt even more brazen when Giselle's hand slipped down to pull on his dick too.

He stood back from both of them and cupped his right hand over the top of his erection. He had never had a threesome before and he was eager to get down to it. But would they?

"Maria ain't here tonight. We can go up to my room…"

His eyes darted between the two of them.

"We?" Giselle asked.

"I'm not doing no eenie-meenie-minie-moe," Erik slurred, "you can both get this dick right now."

Athena regarded Giselle with questioning eyes.

"Erik, I don't do girl-on-girl," Giselle said.

"I said you both could get it, I didn't say with each other. That's up to you two."

"We're all drunk. Let's just say goodnight," Giselle said taking a step back from him.

Athena clung to him still and Erik couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.

"Night, girl," Athena said pulling Erik toward his apartment.

Giselle watched them move away from her and for a moment, her eyes looked shocked that Athena was going with him.

Erik held out his hand toward her.

"You can do what you want or just watch or whatever, but I really want you too."

He couldn't hide the loose stumbling of his words and it made Giselle smile.

"Everything consensual and full of mutual respect," he said, trying to coax her with a sexy voice, or at least what he thought sounded sexy.

"You are tipsy," Athena giggled.

Erik nodded his head toward the steps.

"You and those stupid dimples," Giselle said. She sauntered over and Erik clasped her hand.

###

It was one thing to fantasize about a threesome. It was also another thing to jerk off to threesomes while watching porn.

Everything was different in real life when two fine women climbed onto Erik's bed naked and legs open.

Kissing them both had been the ultimate in pleasure and it was easy for him to move from mouth to mouth and tongue to tongue. He thought his body would overheat when they all sat on the edge of his bed twisting necks back and forth. His fingers caressed nipples and breasts and the mixtures of their two perfumes drifting around his nose made him heady and weak. Giselle sucked on his neck as Athena took his wet tongue with hers and stroked the tip of his dick. He took off his shirt then and shucked off his pants and boxer briefs. Athena went down on him first and Erik fondled Giselle's breasts as he watched Athena's head go up and down on his lap.

"Suck that shit, Ma…" he groaned.

Giselle sucked on his tongue and his erection grew firmer in Athena's mouth.

Releasing Giselle's lips, his heart triple thumped in his chest as a rush of maddening desire came over him. Athena's tongue dragged up his length and her eyes were glued to his as she kneeled before him, her large breasts hugged up against his balls.

Sex was as natural to him as breathing and he knew Giselle's and Athena's bodies very well. But having them in front of him together made him nervous now. The weight of his dick was making him antsy. He had kissed them both into a frenzy and enjoyed the slow release of skirts, blouses, bras, stockings and sheer black pantyhose along the way.

He slowed down and replayed everything up until that moment.

Athena was more assertive than Giselle, not caring if her newly reunited friend was down for the loving or not. But it didn't take long for Giselle to ease into it, her concerns about being sexual with Athena unfounded. She had to fight for time with his lips and snatched it when Athena fondled his balls. His nuts felt so full and once Athena licked the pre-cum from his slit, Giselle was already thrusting her tongue down his throat as he fingered her wet folds. He found himself turning mechanical with his movement, focusing too much on trying to give each woman equal attention instead of just going with the flow.

"Erik?" Athena whispered.

He swallowed hard and licked his lips.

Relax, he told himself.

He eased up on overthinking everything once he fell back on the bed with Athena sitting on his face and Giselle bobbing her head all on his dick. They too found their own rhythm with him and Athena gave Giselle space to touch or be touched by her.

The sensations in Erik's body were heightened more and he had to keep track of his arousal to keep from ejaculating too soon. As much as he wanted to cum in Giselle's mouth as he ate out Athena's pussy, he wanted to save that first erection for penetrating both of them.

"Raise up," he gently whispered to Athena.

Athena rolled over and he groaned when he saw how her gorgeous skin just glowed from him licking her to the verge of an orgasm. She cradled her breasts and he nipped at her clavicle before standing up and pulling Giselle onto the bed next to her.

He grabbed a condom from inside his nightstand and opened it carefully. Both women's eyes sparkled as he rolled the rubber down his length. Both were okay with him using the same condom between them since they were all pretty much sex partners all together any other time. They were all clean and safe. Erik kept on top of that shit religiously.

His nerves kicked in again when he looked down at both open legs and two wet pussies waiting on him. Who to dick down first?

"Erik…"

Giselle whined his name and her hips rotated on the bed. Athena gave him a big smile and he felt that he was given the okay to get between Giselle's legs first. Taking a deep breath he pushed her legs back and rested his knees on the bed. Giselle raised up on her elbows as he lined up with her opening.

"Erik!"

Eyes clenched tight, Giselle lost her breath when he pushed in, the sound of her wet pussy making Athena sigh in envy.

"You feel so good," he exhaled as he shifted his weight to get down deep inside of her.

Heavy thrusts kept Giselle moaning and Erik turned his head from staring down at his sheathed dick stretching her out to watch Athena's face. The other woman moved closer to him and he reached out to squeeze her right breast that overflowed in his hand.

Legs splayed out, Erik gazed at Athena's opening and she was so juicy, clear natural lubricant just trickled out of her making her glisten down there. He pulled out from Giselle and scrambled over to get inside Athena. He sank into her and the warmth surrounding him made him gasp and crush his chest against hers.

"Damn, girl…"

Breathy grunts fell from his mouth as he put in work, but it didn't last when he jumped off of Athena to spoon around Giselle. He held Giselle's leg and pumped into her. Athena stroked his ass, her fingers clutching his glutes with firm squeezes. He almost lost control of his release when he felt her touches move to cradle his balls.

"Fuck!"

Twenty minutes in and he couldn't hold back.

Pulling out of Giselle, Erik stood up and pulled off the condom. Eyes darting between the two, he fisted himself. Giselle and Athena bent their knees and opened their legs wide on the bed, their thighs touching together.

"Open your pussies!" he shouted.

They both peeled back the slick lips of their vulvas.

"Making me nut!"

The root of his dick jumped in his hand and hot semen splashed all over the back of their thighs. Throwing his head back, he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom and let out laughter that shook his entire body. His head dropped forward and he saw his cum sliding down their wet skin.

"Damn...that shit felt amazing," he snapped.

Dropping to his knees, Erik took his time eating them both out until each of their thighs nearly suffocated him.

Any issues he had about dealing with two women at once went away once he got his second wind. He relaxed into the sex and it was good all night long.

###

Exhaustion and dehydration had him gulping down a bottle of orange juice in the kitchen without a glass. He padded into the living room naked and plopped his sated body on the couch. Athena and Giselle were piled on his bed fast asleep. He heard a buzzing sound and reached for his suit jacket that sat in a ball on the armrest.

"Fuck…"

Devika.

He totally forgot about her. There were several text messages from her and a voicemail message. He texted an apology and made up an excuse about being out with interns and getting drunk. Well, it wasn't an actual lie. He did get drunk. And he was with other interns. Just knee-deep in other pussy.

He watched TV and dozed off.

A key in the door woke him up, and he wasn't sure if he was dreaming until Maria walked in…

…with his Aunt, Uncle, and Walter.

"Shit!"

Erik jumped up and covered his lower parts with a couch pillow.

"Whoops!" Maria said turning her eyes away from him.

Erik's Uncle Bakari grinned and Walter doubled over with laughter.

"JaJa! Really?" his Aunt Shavonne said when she stepped fully into the living room.

"Surprise!" Bakari said.

"What are you doing here?" Erik muttered stepping back from his family and bestie.

"We wanted to surprise you," Bakari said.

"I just came back from Noel's place and found them outside," Maria said.

She no longer averted her eyes from him with his dick and balls covered up.

"Get dressed, we'll take you to breakfast," Bakari said.

"Um…okay-"

"Erik…"

Athena walked out wearing her bra and panties. She stopped near the bathroom when she saw the others.

"Oh…excuse me," she said.

Erik felt his face get warm and it grew warmer when Giselle walked out of his bedroom next wearing his tank t-shirt and her thong.

Bakari looked at Erik and shook his head.

"Boy, you are just like your Mama," he said.

"Excuse me for a minute," Erik said.

He backed away from everyone and both women followed him into the bedroom.

"Ohmigod, I am so…I want to disappear right now," Giselle mumbled throwing on her clothes.

Athena laughed.

"They don't know us, so I'm not going to trip," Athena said pulling up her skirt.

Erik put on jeans and a polo shirt. Slipping on a pair of Keen sandals, he wiped his hand over his face.

"Yo, Erik, we hungry," Walter called out.

"Who is that out there?" Giselle asked.

"My aunt and uncle, and my homeboy from Oakland."

"He's fine,' Athena said.

Erik glared at her.

"He is. Don't be jealous!" Athena teased.

"I can't go back out there. Maybe you all can leave first?" Giselle pleaded.

The doorbell rang.

"Erik!"

Maria's voice sang out to him.

"Let's go. Don't make a big deal and don't make eye contact," Erik instructed.

He rubbed a bit of deodorant under his arms.

"C'mon," he said.

Walter stood watching him outside his bedroom door with a lopsided grin and Erik punched his boy in the shoulder. Back in the living room, Maria had a pinched look on her face. Her eyes went to the front door.

"Devika," Erik said.

Devika had on work out gear and carried a tray of Starbucks coffee and a bag of Yum Yum donuts. Her eyes took in his surprise visitors, but they grew narrow when she saw Giselle and Athena.

"Sorry, didn't realize you had a full house," Devika said.

She turned around and left.

Erik ran after her.

"That boy is his father's child."

His Aunt's voice drifted behind him as he scampered down the steps. Devika's car was in a guest carport spot and she flung open her driver's side door.

"Devika, wait a minute."

"I waited up for you. All you had to say was that you weren't coming. I was worried…"

She stopped and looked at him.

"Here."

She handed him the coffee and donuts.

"I was drunk and I just stayed home—"

"I get it, Erik."

"My family is here visiting. Can I see you later?"

"No."

She hopped into her car and rolled down her window.

"Devika, it ain't what you think—"

"Erik. It's cool. I should've called first. Go be with your family."

"Wait—"

She backed out and drove away leaving him alone.

He turned around and came face to face with Giselle and Athena.

"You and Devika?" Giselle asked.

"I gotta get back to the Fam," he said.

Walking back up the steps to his apartment, Erik felt horrible. He let his dick make decisions based on lust, and he disappointed a woman he really liked.

"Fuck," he muttered.

He couldn't win for losing.

His cell vibrated again.

Stark.

"Yeah?"

"Good morning to you too, Stevens. I have some news for you. I'm ending your internship right this minute."

"What? Why?"

Erik stood outside his apartment. He could hear his family talking to Maria inside.

"Be in my office first thing Monday morning-"

"Why are you kicking me out?"

"Monday."

Erik held the phone to his ear.

His family was here to celebrate his internship, and he was being kicked out.

Fuck. Fuck.


	19. Chapter 19

"_**When I first saw you  
You had a sparkle in your eye  
Like the stars at night  
High in the sky**_

_**How I wish  
That you were mine  
'Cause to me  
You're one of a kind**_

_**When I look at you  
It seems so untrue  
How someone like you  
Can make me feel the way you do"**_

_**Cameo—**_**"Sparkle"**

"Erik, you here with us, man?"

Walter's keen dark eyes took in Erik's solemn face as they sat in a popular and busy diner on Pico and La Brea eating pancakes and thick cuts of Canadian bacon. Maria and his Aunt Shavonne shared nail care tips to prevent chipping as his Uncle Bakari cut up his food and ate with a contented face.

Erik pushed circles in the maple syrup on his plate and checked the thin cell phone near his half-empty cup of coffee. Devika still wouldn't return the ten or so texts he sent her.

"My mind is scattered, sorry."

Devika ignoring him, and Tony being cryptic had him on edge. He deleted messages from Giselle and Athena wanting another Ménage a Trois encore and looked Walter in the face.

"You still trippin' about earlier?" Walter asked.

"Nah. I'm over that. It's just…I was foul with that and I hurt my girl."

"Your girl? Which one?" Walter joked.

"Shut up," Erik said giving his friend a grin.

Walter's braided hair was pulled up into a palm tree bun.

"My dude, you've always been messy. Nothing's changed. You've leveled up though."

"Leveled up? I ain't never been with any questionable…"

He almost said hoes, but his Uncle was listening.

Walter leaned in closer and whispered.

"You did them both at the same time?"

Erik gave a subtle nod.

"Man…"

Walter chuckled and ate more bacon on his plate.

Erik glanced at his cell again.

"Expecting a call?" Bakari asked.

"Nah. Just checking for work messages. Sometimes Stark sends mass alerts. Gotta keep on top of stuff there. Even on the weekends."

"You look good. We're proud that you stuck with it," Bakari said.

"It turned out better than I thought," Erik said.

His stomach got tight and Maria glanced over at him. He caught her eyes sliding over to Walter.

"How's school man? We spent all this time talking about my internship, what's poppin' back home?" Erik asked.

"I quit."

Walter popped his last piece of bacon in his mouth.

"Walter!" Shavonne scolded.

"Why?" Erik asked.

"It's not for me. School was always your forte man, and I know my parents wanted me to be like you, but my talents are in fashion…textiles."

"Are you a designer?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, I am," Walter said holding her gaze, "I dropped out of SFSU and enrolled in the Fashion Institute. Going to start my own brand of sportswear. Merge tech and clothing together."

"Dope," Erik said giving Walter a pound.

"Call my parents and tell them that," Walter said.

"When we were in grade school, this fool designed bullet-proof clothing for elementary kids," Erik said pushing back his plate.

"A lot of shootings were going down, and I wanted to stay safe."

"That's, wow…that's kind of sad," Maria said.

"That's how it be in the East Bay sometimes," Walter said.

"Everywhere," Shavonne chimed in.

"I start in the fall and I have already lined up my own internship with Trekfit. They're new, hungry, and I can parlay my talents into maybe getting my own stuff out in three or four years."

Erik and Walter shared a joke in Korean and Maria watched them both.

"You speak Korean?" Maria asked Erik.

"Passable—"

"Barely," Walter said.

"Good luck with the educational changes," Bakari said. He stared at his watch, "Are we all ready to hang out at the pier?"

Bakari drove them all in a rental car, and Erik found himself sitting in the middle of a conversation between Walter and Maria. They had only been together for two hours but they already acted like an old married couple. Divisive opinions on anime, gaming, and sticky rice flew across his lap since he sat in between them in the back seat.

The weather was almost perfect, a little too hot as the temperature raised above eighty degrees, but Erik enjoyed strolling on the pier and talking with his Aunt and Uncle. Maria and Walter had paired off to ride the carousel and Erik kept checking his phone.

"Just call her," Bakari said.

His Uncle snacked on chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream as his Aunt Shavonne tried to shoot fake ducks for prizes with water guns.

"I saw how she looked at you when she stood at the door. I damn near had a flashback to your Pappy back in school. You actually had the same look on your face. What's her name?"

"Devika."

"You sure do like 'em grown," Bakari said winking at Erik.

"Everyone is older than me there, so I don't really have control over that."

"Walter is right too, those were some boss looking babes. The legacy continues."

"It is what it is Unc. But I didn't mean for that to happen. I was supposed to go see her last night and I just…messed up."

"Protecting yourself?"

"Always."

"Respecting them?"

"Yeah."

"But this Devika?"

"I got caught up and forgot to communicate with her. I wasn't expecting her to show up like that. I'm actually not supposed to be seeing her."

"Why not?"

"She's um…she's Stark's secretary."

"Erik…boy, I tell ya…"

Bakari ate his ice cream and Erik watched his Uncle's face.

The man was heavier in the face and body, and he was happy with Shavonne because it shone all over his face when he looked at her. His uncle treated his wife the way Erik's father treated his mother. Like they were one of a kind. And that was true. He learned how to treat women from his Dad and Bakari. His uncle raised him for six years a couple of years after Erik's parents died. Bakari gave Erik a foundation to rebuild his life when he floundered in the streets and foster care. His uncle begged his Grandpop to give him guardianship so Erik could leave Oakland and be somewhere that wouldn't remind him of the pain he suffered. It worked.

His aunt and uncle made sure Erik stayed connected to Walter and even his friend Shawn whom he met in juvenile hall. Flew them both out every summer and made sure they traveled to Martha's Vineyard for vacations and also allowed him to go to Brazil yearly to visit his cousin Marisol. They gave him life again, and he was eternally grateful. They also made sure to remind him of the special bond his parents had, and if Erik had the same romantic tendencies of his father, Bakari constantly reflected on honest communication.

Devika was beginning to feel special to him, and he couldn't understand how he could be so careless with her. All he had to do was call her and say he was spending some time with the other women and…

He had no real excuse or reason for his behavior. He did want to see her. Craved her even, especially with Tony Stark telling him what he couldn't have. But pitchers of Margaritas and pretty faces hemmed him up. The sex was everything, but now he regretted it.

"I like her Unc. She's been good to me the entire time I was here. She's fine. Smart. I don't know why I fucked up. Sorry for cussing."

"Young people make mistakes."

Erik put his phone away. He wanted to focus on his family.

The rest of his weekend was pleasant and he spent much-needed quality time with Bakari and Shavonne.

Walter spent quality time with Maria.

It was all good.

###

Erik picked out his best new blue suit to wear to Stark's office. Whatever was going down would happen with him looking his best.

He had a fresh line up and brand-new cologne. Eyes tracked him in the lobby of the Stark building and even Valentina did a double-take when she saw him walk past her on his way to the private elevator.

His confidence faded once he reached Stark's floor and he saw Devika through the glass office walls.

Damn that woman beautiful.

She wore thick wash and go curls all over her head, and her make-up was smoky and smooth like her skin. Erik took a deep breath and walked into the room.

"I'm here for Stark's eight—"

"Go in, he's expecting you."

She cut him off without looking at him. He stepped closer to her desk.

"Devika—"

"He's waiting for you."

"I don't have a good excuse. I'm sorry."

Her eyes finally took his in.

"Don't worry about it. We're good."

"It doesn't feel good. You wouldn't even talk to me this weekend."

"You were with family, remember?"

He chewed on his lip trying to keep himself from saying something smart ass to dig at her. He was shocked at how much he wanted her forgiveness. Anyone else he would be tossing to the side like, "Oh well", and then be on to his next conquest, but Devika snuck up on him emotionally. While he had been busy chasing after Giselle and falling in easily with Athena, Devika was just…there. Always there.

All the little things she did for him, the corny jokes they shared each time he was called up to see Stark…reminders to eat or drink water. The donuts to keep his blood sugar up when he worked late…she was a constant source of calm for him during the entire internship. He would be crushed if she iced him for the rest of his time there.

"Just tell me this, is Boss Man about to kick me out?"

"What are you talking about?"

"He called me after you left my apartment and told me my time in the internship was over."

Devika's nose crinkled up and her eyes were full of confusion.

"I haven't heard any talk about putting you out."

That made Erik breathe easier. Devika was the pulse of Stark. Right after Pepper, Devika knew the man better than he knew himself.

"_Devika, have you heard from Stevens yet?"_

Stark's voice came through on the desk intercom.

"He's walking in now."

She pushed him toward the door.

Entering, Erik was surprised to see Janine and two other upper-level suits sitting in the room.

"Take a seat," Stark said pointing to the only available chair in front of his desk.

Erik unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down with his legs wide apart. Stark fussed with a small touchpad and then finally stared Erik.

"How do you think you've done here, Stevens?" he asked.

Erik's eyes flitted to the other three people next to him and their eyes didn't shy away from his. No one looked down or fidgeted with their hands. Good sign thus far.

"Excellent." Erik shot back at him.

"Excellent? You sure?"

"Yeah. My last eval was stellar. Janine can tell you that. She wrote it up."

A smirk went across Janine's face.

"Do you want to add any addendums to that, Janine?"

Stark folded his hands in his lap and leaned back in his chair.

"No, Sir. The eval speaks for itself."

"Good. Stevens, I'm pulling you from the internship and placing you in the Stark Fellowship starting today. The Fellowship runs for a year and at the end of that year you will be offered a position with Stark Enterprises—"

"Wait, I start M.I.T. next month."

"M.I.T. is willing to defer your entry for next year. You are still a full-ride scholar."

"I would take what he is offering, Erik," Janine said. For once her eyes looked gentle.

Erik sat back in his chair.

Stark's eyes regarded him with amusement.

"Every intern in this entire building would give me their first-born child for the offer I just gave you. And yet you sit here like a lump."

"I appreciate the offer. I just want some time to think about it."

"Think about it?"

One of the suits glared at him.

"Unbelievable," the haughty suit grumbled.

"There's a paid salary, so you'd have to get your own place. No more Oakwood. You'd work directly with me and there will be a lot of travel, covered by the company of course. You have been a stellar young man. The last person to have this opportunity now runs one of my satellite offices in Hong Kong. It's a great opportunity and I want you to have it."

"How much is the salary?"

Tony pushed a blue and silver folder across his desk. Erik picked it up.

"That much, huh? With benefits…health/dental. Paid gym membership…"

Erik's eyes read the offer to the very bottom.

Why not?

Take advantage of being at the side of one of the most powerful and influential men on the planet. Get paid for it, and get access to tech that could help him figure out the vibranium he had stashed in his apartment.

"I'll do it."

"Wise decision young man."

Stark stood up and held out his hand. Erik gripped it firmly.

"Welcome aboard, Stevens. I'll have H.R. get paperwork set up and we'll get you transferred over tomorrow. You'll report to me in the Cypress meeting room tomorrow at ten a.m. I need you to pack up clothing for a week because you are coming with me to Monaco after the Intern party on my yacht."

"Thanks, Mr. Stark."

"Janine, say your goodbyes now, I'm stealing him from you," Stark said.

Janine stood up and gave Erik her hand.

"Keep up the exceptional work," she said.

"If you'll excuse us, Stevens, I need to meet with these folks. We'll talk tomorrow. Clear out your things from Janine's and go see Happy in security to get new clearance."

"Okay."

Erik took the folder with him and walked out of the office.

Devika worked on her laptop and her eyes flickered over to his when he stepped back into the outer office.

"I was offered a new position for a year," Erik said.

A smile. A slight one, but he caught it on her face.

"Congratulations," she said keeping her voice cool.

"I have to go gather my stuff from Janine's floor."

He turned away from her.

"Erik."

"Yeah?"

Devika reached into the large bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a bag of donuts for him. He took them from her.

"You worked your ass off all summer. You deserve this opportunity, Erik."

"Thanks."

They stared at one another. Her eyes took in his suit and there was a twinkle in those dark irises. All he could think of was that glorious weekend he spent with her after he got his ass kicked in her home.

He held the donuts up toward her.

"Thanks for this. You're always looking out for me."

"Better get going…get that desk cleared out," she said.

There was awkward staring once more.

What he would give to be brave and kiss her right there at her desk.

"He's taking me to Monaco with him…what was that look for?" he said.

Devika shook her head.

"What?" Erik pushed.

"Monaco is…well, Monaco is a place where Tony tends to get a little wild."

"Is it that bad?"

"No, but it's a playground for the ultra-rich, and the ultra-rich are very different from the basic rich. Put it this way. Millionaires are the double-wides of that set. Multi-millionaires are the working class. The lower working class."

"It's like that, huh?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Maybe you should give me lessons on how to maneuver that world."

"You don't give up, do you?"

He smiled at her and she rolled her eyes.

He walked away from her desk and took a big bite of a hot glazed twist once he was in the elevator headed down to his work-station.

His cell vibrated in his jacket pocket. Taking it out he checked for Stark Alerts. There was only one personal text.

"_You are forgiven."_

He didn't bother to text her back.

Rushing back up to Stark's outer office and Devika's desk, he grabbed her hand.

"Erik! What are you doing?"

Devika's startled face made him smile.

"Taking you to breakfast, and then we're going back to your place. I have some making up to do."


	20. Chapter 20

_**"Welcome to your life  
There's no turning back  
Even while we sleep  
We will find you acting on your best behavior  
Turn your back on mother nature  
Everybody wants to rule the world**_

_**It's my own design  
It's my own remorse  
Help me to decide  
Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure  
Nothing ever lasts forever  
Everybody wants to rule the world"**_

_**Tears For Fears – **_**"Everybody Wants to Rule The World"**

Erik watched Maria down a shot of tequila and squeeze a sliced lime into her mouth. He sipped on a glass of ginger beer and watched the festivities aboard Le Sirene, Stark's 456-foot-long custom-built yacht. Scalloped sides, silver and turquoise accents and large glass facades gave panoramic views inside the interior. Sailing off the coast of Malibu, the balmy air and fresh smell of seawater relaxed Erik.

Stark spared no expense to wine and dine the interns. Everyone around Erik were in various states of good humor, ecstatic thoughts of the future, and varying degrees of sobriety.

Athena accepted a job with a completely different company in Paris.

Giselle would start a mid-level position in Stark's New York offices.

Valentina accepted a generous package with Stark in Los Angeles under the thumb of Janine.

And Maria…she had two top Stark Industries choices. Stay in Los Angeles with Valentina, or take an opportunity to work for Stark in D.C.

Only fifteen percent of the interns were offered jobs with Stark. The fact that all off his female friends received the careers they worked so hard for pleased Erik to no end. He was also looking forward to being right next to Tony. As soon as Happy from security gave him his new clearance, Erik had access to offices and buildings within the Stark sphere of influence.

Once he was removed from the interns, Erik spent two weeks shadowing Pepper Potts. She informed him that she would guide his transition into more of a junior assistant role. Erik liked Pepper's directness. She wasn't a fun person to hang around. Her tight lips and tight ass personality hid a core rooted in needing to keep the world around her extremely organized. Erik recognized the signs of obsessive behavior. He had it too.

Pepper was easy to read and she seemed to be irritated with Erik's relaxed stance around Stark. She dug into him during a lunch meeting the two of them shared.

"You need to be the one to keep Tony grounded. He's really just a big kid in a candy store and even though he is brilliant, he is also very brash. Impulsive. The key to doing the job right is to keep the riff-raff away from him and make sure he stays focused on the task at hand. He doesn't need another sycophant. Everyone wants a piece of him, so don't be afraid to be rude or abrupt. You and I will be in direct contact and I will be in charge of your itinerary with Stark daily. Any changes that need to be made go through me first."

Pepper always regarded him with a bit of detachment and triple-checked his work often. After two weeks of realizing that Erik was more than capable of handling Tony as her junior, she let up a bit. Just a tiny bit. Erik had to adjust to how he would stomach those other looks she gave him. Looks that always made it seem like she pondered how he was in Tony's orbit. This Black kid with the genius I.Q. and Oakland attitude. So many overly pedigreed interns and Stark chose Erik above all of them. A guy not even out of his teens yet.

Erik also learned another little tidbit about Pepper.

She was annoyed with Devika.

Maybe not annoyed…more like jealous.

The two women maneuvered around each other professionally. But more than once, Erik caught Pepper giving Devika catty looks when she was in Stark's inner office. This piqued Erik's curiosity even more, making him want to know what type of relationship Devika really had with Tony. It made Erik's stomach hurt sometimes to think that his boss had been with his girl in that way.

His girl.

Erik's eyes swept over to the open bar on the yacht's third deck as Devika picked up a champagne flute and tipped the glass against one of the female interns next to her. Prior to coming on board the luxury boat, Erik spent the afternoon with Devika at a café looking for an apartment for him. A basic one-bedroom in a decent neighborhood close to work was averaging three thousand a month.

Money wasn't a problem. Stark made good and gifted Erik with a hefty players fee from the poker game. Erik sent portions of his winnings to his relatives and banked the rest. He could afford a fancy apartment or even a condo himself if he wanted. But spending the night with Devika made him want one thing: to be with her.

He whined to her about having to spend a grip of money in a hotel and hinted that he would look for a roommate situation to ease him into a new living situation. He already had his belongings in her apartment and they were now sharing a bed. He wanted to stay with her during his fellowship. But she was concerned about Tony finding out about them. He was too chickenshit to ask outright if he could live with her hoping she would suggest the idea herself. She didn't.

Erik watched Pepper approach Devika and as the two women spoke to one another, he moved to the other side searching for the man himself. Jazzy tunes were piped in throughout the yacht and Erik tried to go where he last saw Tony.

A wet kiss on his cheek caught him off guard and Giselle's face came into view as she slid around him.

"You're real quiet tonight. Everything okay?" she asked.

"I'm good. Just looking for Boss Man."

"I never got a chance to properly congratulate you on your fellowship. Stark was right about you. From Day One. You were the man to beat."

"You haven't done so bad yourself."

"New York, baby!" Giselle squealed. She closed her eyes and did a little happy dance, "They loved my work with the Expo and I was a good fit for his team out there. I am over the fucking moon. I am going to kill out there."

Her eyes glinted with endless possibilities and Erik caught a glimpse of Tony walking toward him.

"Stevens."

Giselle slipped away from him to join a raucous group dancing in an open space. Tony handed Erik a glass of champagne.

"You missed my grand going away speech," Tony said.

"No, I heard it. I was just up here. Taking it all in."

"This is just one of the many perks of doing what I do. Showing appreciation for everyone giving their best."

"Do you ever get bored with it? I mean, all this," Erik said glancing around at the grandeur and all the decadence.

"Not really. When I was younger, I used to get bored…not with the money, but with the same packs of roving cliques. Money is never boring. Rich people? Yes. Money? Never. I just learned how to spend my money well and surround myself with interesting characters."

Erik drank from his glass and Tony moved closer to him.

"Pepper says you are ready for the big leagues. It's going to be quite a shift from being an intern."

"I can handle it."

Erik followed Tony around the ship, and as the night progressed, he longed to be alone with Devika and just watch a corny movie. She flitted around, and the yearning grew in his heart. It was a new feeling for him. Wanting a one on one. Athena and Giselle were open to him having a goodbye tryst with them, but he wasn't interested, and that shocked him. Turning down exceptional pussy? An abomination in his previous life, but now…

The black sheath dress Devika wore shimmered with tiny crystals at the hem. And she wore the heels that he loved fucking her in. Her hair was tucked into a loose bun on her head and she decorated her forehead with three dark green bindis. He followed her to the starboard side of the yacht and her eyes looked startled to see him come upon her as she stared at the dark water below them.

"Hey," he said, allowing his shoulder to bump into hers.

"Hi."

"You look nice."

"Thanks," she said. Her eyes darted behind him to make sure they weren't being watched.

"I'm on my best behavior, don't trip," he said giving up a bit of space between them.

"I needed a little break from the action," she whispered, folding her hands on the railing she leaned on.

"Pepper and you have been chatty Cathy's."

Devika's eyes narrowed at the sound of Pepper's name.

"Devika, be honest with me. Did you and Tony-?"

"No."

Her tone was curt. But her eyes were soft.

"I didn't cross the line with him. Not all the way. I was…I was really young when I took this job. I was also really good at it. Tony took a shine to me, but it was just an excellent working relationship in the beginning. But shit happens. Late hours. Last-minute trips to exotic places. Billionaire crowd. Working for him is both surreal and astounding at times. The people that he has on speed dial? You would be shocked at who I have called up out of the blue for him."

She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I had a huge crush on him and he has always been attracted to me. We've had dinners together that had nothing to do with work. There have been times when I could've allowed us to cross the line, and I didn't. Then I met my fiancé and my life changed. Pepper is in love with Tony, and she hates that he still feels something for me even though there is nothing between us."

She turned and looked at Erik.

"I had an emotional connection to Tony and I ended it for the sake of my career. My dignity too, I guess. I look at Tony as a boss and a friend. Pepper hasn't found a balance for her feelings, and we sometimes butt heads."

"Does he still want something with you?"

"I don't think so. He was happy when I first got engaged. Maybe it was a relief for him."

"Does he feel anything for Pepper?"

"I don't think so. She treats him like a child. It annoys him a lot. I think it's why he blows her off a lot. But she is good at what she does so he puts up with her scolding. What's it like for you working with her?"

Erik looked out at the water and gripped the railing with his hands.

"Annoying as fuck. But I'm used to people like her. She doesn't like that I'm not invested in the gig as much as she thinks I should be."

"If you're not invested, why do it? You should go to M.I.T."

Her words made his chest hurt.

"You don't want me around?"

"This has nothing to do with me. God, I hope you didn't take the job just to be around me."

She laughed but then stopped when his face stayed neutral.

"Erik, seriously, you took the job for your future career, right?"

"I have a lot of reasons to take it. You were part of it too."

"Oh…Erik…"

Her eyes dropped away from his.

"Devika…"

"You have to make life choices that benefit you and your dreams."

"I'm still figuring that out, but you're a big perk."

She reached out and rubbed his arm.

"You are so sweet."

"I'm not trying to be sweet, Devika. I'm tryna be your man."

The words not only shocked her, but they made him tumble back from the railing. The champagne had him loose-lipped. Too loose.

Her eyes regarded him with quiet understanding.

"So sweet," she said.

He watched her lean away from him as if she were leaving him. He grabbed for her hand and pulled her toward him.

"You heard what I said, right?" he asked.

"I did."

"You like me, right?"

"I do."

"I wanna be with you. Not just friends."

"We should slow down."

"What?"

His neck tilted to the side.

Hours earlier they had been in her bed and she had whispered crazy things in his ear that made him feel invincible and so grown up. Was she playing him for good dick?

Two weeks of sharing her home together, making him feel like they were a legit couple, and she was standing there telling him they should slow down. He tasted sour spit in his mouth and the muscles in his stomach felt tight.

"You need to focus all your energy on being the best you in your new position. Don't get caught up with me and lose track of your future."

"Caught up?"

He could barely get the words out of his throat. Her words sounded like she was patting him on his head like he was a cute puppy that she no longer wanted to play with. He felt his lower lip tremble and he stepped further away from her.

"Erik…"

"I gotta get back to Stark. I'll see you later."

He felt a little wobbly as he searched for Tony. Once he found him, he stayed by the man's side and finished the evening on his motorcycle by the pier the yacht was docked at. Instead of returning to Devika's condo, he took a room at a Hilton hotel and drank up the liquor inside the minibar.

His cell phone rang and when he checked it, Devika left several messages for him. He called her back at three in the morning after a good hour of sleep.

"Where are you?"

"A hotel. West Hollywood."

"Why?"

"Why? You told me not to get caught up—"

"Erik, you know what I meant."

"I heard what you said."

"Come back here."

"Why should I?"

"Let's talk—"

"We're talking now—"

"Get over here."

"Why?"

"I want you here. Your stuff is here."

"I'll get my stuff later."

"What I said to you earlier…I wasn't trying to be mean. I was being honest with you."

"I don't want to slow down."

He could hear an exasperated sigh in her voice.

"Erik, I'm trying to make you see what I wish someone had told me when I was younger. I'm not trying to hurt you."

"I want to be with you. We get along. You know that. Tony won't find out about us—"

"We need to talk in person—"

"It's late. I'll come over when I check out."

He hung up.

Lying on the hotel bed nude, he stared at the walls.

An hour ticked by.

"Fuck."

He jumped up and put back on his silk shirt and slacks. Throwing on his dark biker's jacket and helmet, he hopped on his motorcycle and roared out of the hotel parking lot.

The highway was quiet as the sky lightened. When he reached Devika's condo, the pink and orange morning glow made him feel easier in the chest.

She answered the door after his third knock dressed in one of his sweatshirts and nothing else.

"Let's talk," he said.

She nodded and he leaned forward to kiss her lips. Her mouth was eager to have his and they took their time with slow drawn out smooching in the doorway. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Suckling his tongue, Devika made him feel that what he needed most was for her to be in his corner. He held onto her ass cheeks to keep her pressed against him, and when she finally released his lips, he had her panting. He slipped a finger down her ass and let it rest against the cotton of her underwear. He could feel how damp she was, her slick saturating the panties. He rested his forehead on hers.

"Tell me your mine," he whispered.

She traced the fingers of her right hand across the back of his scalp sending tingles up his back. His lips touched her lips again and he looked into her eyes.

"Tell me," he demanded.

He walked into her condo with her still wrapped around him and kicked the door closed.

"I'm your man. Say it."

The bass in his voice made her eyes widen. He sent his fingers down into her panties and stroked her swollen vulva.

"Devika, say it…."

He unfastened his pants and pulled them down with his underwear.

"Devika."

Sliding her sticky panties to the side, Erik lifted her up and guided his dick inside of her. She whimpered as he fucked her standing up, her face pressed against his face, her arms laced around his neck.

The squelching sounds coming from her pussy made Erik give her hard strokes as he lifted her up and down his stiffness. She still wouldn't answer him and just gave his ears thrilling moans and yelps from the pleasure he gave her.

His calves began to strain from standing in one place and holding her weight so he spun around and jammed her up against the door. Pressing her into the solid wood, he drilled into her hard and fast, his aggression needing release. She refused to give him what he wanted and it aggravated him.

"Devika…"

"Erik!" she screamed.

Her eyes rolled back in her head and he felt her pussy contract up and down his dick. He reached up and grabbed her throat, his fingers squeezing and pushing her head back. The throbbing in his dick made his back hunch up.

"I want you!" he shouted releasing into her, his head dropping onto her chest as his legs trembled.

He groaned when he felt another sudden wave of semen spurt into her and it made him drop her down to her feet. He faced her with wrinkled clothes and semen still dripping from his tip. He kicked his feet out of his pants and Devika took his right hand and led him to her bedroom.

They made love until Erik was too exhausted to do anything more than stroke her hair as he held her in his arms.

The unspoken was made manifest.

He was going to live with her and she let be known by her loving that she belonged to him.

The world at that moment was his.


	21. Chapter 21

"_**I've seen things that I never should have seen  
Said too many things I didn't mean  
Hurt myself too many times to count  
I need to let it out, and just release  
Been lying to myself too long  
Been trying by myself too long  
I can't relax, I'm too distracted  
I can't hack it, hmm  
I'm needy, greedy  
Love me, feed me  
Let's be a family  
It'll take a village  
To make a man of me  
So why couldn't you love me?  
It's all I need**_

_**I just want time in a tree  
I need a place just for me  
Somewhere that I can be free  
Keep the faith and just be  
What you'll be…"**_

_**Raleigh Ritchie**_**—"Time in a Tree"**

Work.

From sun up until sundown.

Erik bought suits, shoes, and accessories that shouted to the world that he was in the big leagues. Tailor-made threads. A personal barber that came to the office to service him. He leased a silver Porshe and had gourmet meals delivered to him because there was no time to cook in Devika's condo.

By the time he dragged himself home after a fifteen-hour day with Stark and two hours on a crowded freeway, all Erik could do was heat up his fancy pre-cooked meal, eat it, shower, and fall into bed next to Devika.

Despite the hectic schedule, he was able to knock out some gym time during his lunch breaks, and he went through another growth spurt, putting on an additional twenty pounds that filled out his face, chest, and ass. He felt like his voice had changed too, sounding more manly to his ears. Even his dick felt different as if it had grown a bit too, feeling thicker when he was erect. His physical need for sex grew also, but Devika was unavailable to him when he was gallivanting around with Tony. It was torture moving in and out of Tony's office and seeing her at her desk but pretending that they didn't wake up together or go to sleep together in the same bed.

Their domestic arrangement was cute for about three months, but the shine was wearing off a bit when real-life commenced. He had a job. Responsibilities. Schedules to create and maintain. Pepper was still on his ass at times, and Tony was his usual unpredictable self. He brought that stress home with him and it took him a long time to release the outside world with his home life. Devika was a good sport about the lack of time they had together, but some nights he was so tired that he would fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Sometimes he could knock out a quickie in the morning, but only if he set an alarm to get up early. He was able to get home early one hectic Friday night because a client canceled a dinner meeting, but by the time he showered and put on fresh cologne for Devika, Tony called him up to tell him to pack for Hawaii. He sat in the living room waiting for Devika, and when she scurried in excited to have him home to herself before ten at night holding Thai take-out food, she saw his bags by the door and she totally deflated. He apologized as he kissed her, trying to smooth her ruffled feathers. Instead of languid love-making as he had promised, they ended up fucking hard and fast on the couch with Erik switching up positions as many times as he could.

When they were done and tangled up in each other's afterglow, Erik could tell that she wasn't happy.

"Go put on those heels, Ma," he told her, slapping her ass.

Her eyes were closed.

"C'mon, baby. I gotta leave soon. I wanna see you in them."

She dragged herself off the couch and walked her sexy ass to the bedroom. When she returned, she had on some black strappy seven-inch heels that he had never seen before.

"Damn, girl."

"I bought these for this weekend."

She twirled around and he stood up fast, fisting his brand new erection.

"Get down on the floor. You know what I want."

She took her time walking to him.

"Look how hard you got this dick."

She smiled then dropped down on the floor under beneath his spread legs, resting her back against the couch.

"Lick my balls."

Her tongue slathered saliva all around his sack. Her right hand reached up and stroked his dick and he kept his eyes on her legs that were bent at the knees. Leaning forward, he could see her heels.

"Baby, I like how you got my balls all in your mouth…fuck…Devika…suck on those nuts bitch…"

He watched her widen her thighs.

"I'ma fuck you in your ass before I leave."

She moaned and the vibration on her mouth coursed all around his nutsack.

"Goddamn Devika!"

Pre-cum laced the tip of his dick and fell down onto her stomach.

He broke away from her.

"Get on your hands and knees."

Devika crawled forward and Erik handed her a couch pillow for her knees. She placed herself in position with her perky ass in the air and Erik stroked himself.

"I know you're still upset I have to leave all last minute. But I'm about to get in that ass so you won't miss me too much."

He positioned himself behind her and used the copious amount of pre-cum dripping out of his slit to lubricate his erection.

"Get ready, Ma…oh shit…I like that…oh damn... Devika…oh shit….oh shit…."

He took his sweet time entering her, and she relaxed easily once he started pumping in and out of her asshole. In the three months he had been living with her, he learned that whenever she was upset with him for any little thing, fucking her in the ass calmed the bad attitude. When her body was fully accommodating, he gave her that length and girth.

"You still mad?" he said between gritted teeth.

"Not anymore. Keep fucking me in my ass!"

"You letting me get in there deep this time. Damn girl…deep…fucking this ass up!"

He jumped from doggy to froggy on her ass, letting his heavy balls smash against her ass and clit.

"You were ready to cuss my ass out when I told you I had to leave…ah shit…ass is fucking tight on my dick."

Devika adjusted her hands and arms to handle the weight he was putting on her. He sweated all over her back.

"Can I cum in your ass?"

"Yes…."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Daddy. Cum in my ass."

"You forgive me for leaving?"

"Yes!"

"You gon' miss Daddy's dick?"

"Yes!"

Devika fell forward and leaned her weight onto her elbows.

Erik slang dick in her ass to put her to sleep.

"How you gon' greet me when I get back?"

"Erik!"

"Tell me!"

He slapped her ass cheek. He was close to ejaculating.

"I'll be at the door….on my knees…."

"What else?"

"Mouth open…"

"For what?"

"Daddy's dick."

"What will you wear?"

"A smile."

He laughed and slapped the side of her hip.

Shifting back to his knees again, he gripped her waist with both hands and rocked into her. So much sweat dripped off from her supple skin and he allowed the fingers of his left hand to slide up and down her spine to feel the warm wetness. Devika played with her clit as he handled her ass. She was so fucking beautiful and he felt so proud to have her for his own…to live with her…to wake up with her…

"I'm cumming….I'm cumming….fuck….I'm cumming hard….I'm cumming hard in this ass…Devika…I'm….shiiitttt!"

He pulled his dick back a few inches as he lost his voice. His eyes squeezed shut hard and he thought he could see hot flashes of white light behind his eyelids as a rush of fluid erupted from his loins. Staring down at himself he watched his dick jump and throb and pump a flood of hot semen into her ass. His balls seemed to jump too.

"Damn baby. That was fucking amazing!"

He slapped her ass again and pulled her body up against him to give her a big hug. Kissing all over her cheek he felt her pat his arm.

"You better go take a shower real quick. I'll call a Lyft for you."

He released her and sauntered to the bathroom letting her see his dick swinging as he walked. When he was done cleaning himself and changing into clothes, she was ready to say goodbye to him at the front door.

"Call me when you land," she said, clutching onto his arm. She was still naked.

"Hopefully we'll be back by Wednesday," he said.

"He has to be. He has several meetings scheduled later that afternoon that he can't get out of."

Her face looked a little strange when he reached for the handle of his bag.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just a lot is going on and you won't be here to help me decompress."

"You just make sure to be in position when I get back here Wednesday night."

He kissed her and regretted feeling her tongue in his mouth. He wanted to stay home and make love all weekend. His balls still felt heavy.

"Down on my knees. Mouth open," she whispered.

"Mmmhmmm. Make sure you suck my dick real good too."

"I will."

"I know you will. Have my pussy ready too. I'ma be digging in you deep."  
"Yeah?"

"You know it. Marinate in you all night. Take care of you right. Make up for all of this last-minute bullshit."

"That's part of the job Erik. Life with Tony is non-stop."

"But I have a life with you too."

Her eyes flickered away from his. He didn't like that.

"Call me," she said once more and kissed him again.

She had to shove him out the door to make him finally leave.

###

The private jet banked across the Pacific and Erik could see the lights of the Santa Monica pier before they ascended into the upper layers of a cloudy sky. Once they reached cruising altitude, he could see the moon and stars.

"I've rescheduled my Monaco trip," Tony said as he sat in a creamy gray leather seat with a touchpad in his right hand and a bourbon on the rocks in his left.

"When?" Erik asked.

"Early February."

Tony sipped and scrolled. Erik daydreamed looking out of the window.

Pepper sat across from Erik in the aisle, her fingers busy clickety-clacking on her laptop. Every now and then she would stop and sip on the can of Coke sitting on her seat tray next to her computer.

Happy and another security team member snoozed in the back. A private flight attendant offered Erik snacks and more soda, but he declined. His stomach was in knots. This was the sixth flight out of Los Angeles in four weeks and he barely had a chance to see Devika once he had returned from the last-minute Hawaii trip weeks ago. He was in and out of LAX so much that he didn't bother taking his suitcases home, and just left them packed and ready at the office.

He was learning a ton, and he was also getting access to how Tony's mind worked in regards to the industry he was in and his bottom line.

Money.

Tony Stark loved tech and innovation and being a showman, but he loved money more than anything. Even though he had enough to last several lifetimes, there was an unending need to have more. It was a theme Erik found among the crowd Tony ran with. Money was used to bend wills, control societies, and bludgeon politicians. It was a true addiction. A rabid one at that.

Erik also learned that people at those top one percent heights dehumanized everyone around them. The lower ninety-nine percent were the help. Simple cattle. Sheep to be herded sometimes. How many men from various countries in the last five months had Erik been around that made him want to choke the life out of them? A dozen? Two dozen? So many of them were sociopaths too, and not to mention those that made his guts crawl when they gave off pedo vibes or disgusting kinks that Erik had been privy too. A trip to Dubai found Erik sitting in a lavish home watching women flown in from America and Europe squatting over rich male faces and shitting feces into their mouths as Tony sat there trying to close an arms deal that would net him millions. Erik didn't know whether to laugh or vomit as dead-eyed twenty-somethings with augmented bodies performed kinks that shouldn't even exist. But Tony took it in stride. It was normal business to him.

The trips wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have the nagging suspicion that Devika was going to break up with him. He was already living in his own apartment away from her. He hoped that distance would make her heart grow fonder when she did see him at work, but the unpredictable hours put a dent in that. He saw her at least twice a week outside of work, and that time was only spent fucking before he was off to do Tony's bidding.

Before he left for the trip he was on now she had called him weeks before to say that her ex-fiancé had been reaching out to her and she wanted to talk to him. They left their relationship unfinished and she wanted closure.

Erik was upset. Angry.

They fought about it for weeks and stopped speaking to each other for days.

But he wanted her to handle her business. He thought it was the adult thing to do. She cried about it and the expression on her face pained him.

"I was with that man for five years, Erik. I loved him…I still love him. We were planning a life together. I can't just turn off all of that history like that."

He sat in her living room with a heated face and pressure in his chest. She still loved him?

"If you love him, then why fuck around with me? Am I your place holder or something?"

It was hard to hang onto his righteous anger when she was crying so hard. Seeing all that hurt in her face made him want to fix everything for her.

"Erik, you…I…I have feelings for you. Deep feelings. I really do. But—"

"I don't want to hear no 'buts' Devika…are you fucking him?"

"No—"

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not."

"So what do you want to do?"

He was so hot with rage that he could barely sit still. He wanted to punch in the wall. Break shit.

"I need to talk with him. Work this thing out. You don't know what it's like to share a life with someone—"

"What have I been doing with you? We lived together for almost four months—"

"Four months is not the same as five years."

"I fucking hate this shit, Devika!"

His voice thundered in the room and she covered her face with shaky hands. He was too angry to even try and comfort her.

He moved out soon after that. Gave her space and time to get herself together.

It crushed him.

He spent way too much time at the gym, doing his best not to go home to a lonely apartment. He threw himself into his work and was grateful for the long hours to keep his mind off of her.

There was an occasional check-in text, and he zoned out around her in Tony's office.

He couldn't believe how his relationship had turned to shit so fast. One minute he had a woman, and the next, he was waiting for her to make a decision because he knew that is what it came down to. Did she love Austin enough to get back with him? Get married?

Staring out of the jet window again, Erik tried to see it from Devika's point of view. She was twenty-six, had a career that provided her with a lucrative income, and Erik knew she wanted to have a family. Babies. A house in the suburbs. He was nineteen, and even though he had money in the bank thanks to card sharking for Tony and the life insurance left to him from his parents, he also had to consider his own life goal.

Revenge.

A deep sigh escaped his throat and Tony glanced up at him from his touchpad.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah."

"If you want to sleep, go take the bed in the back. I'm going to be up until we land."

"Okay."

Erik left his seat and wandered to the private sleeping quarters. Kicking off his dress shoes, he stretched out on the bed, his body still tense.

Devika wanted a regular life. He would never be able to give her that. No one really. He was just greedy for her affections, greedy for wanting to be needed by someone like her. He felt lonely, but he needed to do what she had originally told him to do: focus on his work and his dreams.

But his dreams were the replaying of nightmares in his life. She helped him forget so much.

Devika tried to give him a graceful out, one in which they could still have a friendly relationship, but he pushed her, clung to her, used her to make himself feel good.

The short trip to Atlanta went by fast, and before he knew it, Erik was driving his Porsche to Devika's condo. Her car was parked in her spot and he rode the elevator to her unit. Jamming his keys to her place into the doorknob he was ready to make peace. It had been a week since he had seen her and all he wanted to do was hug her and let her know that—

Austin stood in the kitchen drinking orange juice straight from the plastic bottle. Naked. Erik blinked his eyes rapidly.

_Ain't this a bitch._

Austin turned to look at him and the smug expression on his face set Erik off.

"Devika!" Erik shouted.

He stormed over to the open bedroom and Devika ran out wearing a gray sports bra and black pajama bottoms.

"What are you doing here?"

Her eyes held surprise and the calmness in her voice made him antsy.

"I missed you. I wanted to see you—"

_"Get the fuck out!"_

Austin's voice startled Devika. He was at Erik's heels, his wide chest puffed out, the orange juice still his hand.

Devika's eyes looked so sad.

Erik knew what her final decision was. He didn't have to ask. She was never really his.

"I'ma leave," he said backing away from her.

Walking out of the condo, his brain whirling in his head with so many disconnected thoughts, Erik found his car and promptly dropped down to the curb and cried. Like a baby.

He cradled his face and let the tears fall as his chest rattled with deep choking sobs.

"Erik…"

Devika dropped down next to him and held him. Rocking him in her arms.

"I didn't sleep with him, Erik, I didn't sleep with him…"

He rested his face on her neck and she stroked his shoulders.

"We went out to eat and talked some things out. He was too drunk to drive, so I made him sleep on the couch."

"Devika…" he choked out.

Her watery eyes stared at him and when her tears fell, he cried even harder and clutched onto her shoulder. He dropped his head to her lap and she rubbed his back until he couldn't cry anymore. When his breathing stopped having shuddery stops and starts, he sat up and looked at her. Her face was a wet mess.

"You were right. About us. I want you, but I know I can't give you what you need. What you dream about. I'm barely twenty and this is my first job. I still have grad school, and there are things I have to get done. I wanted you to be something in my life that made me feel normal. But you want something that only Austin can give you. I was just trying to steal a little bit of it for myself. You are so smart and beautiful, Devika. You treated me with respect and you were always honest with me. I took advantage of that. I know I did. You should work things out with him if that's what you want. I won't stand in your way. I want you to be happy. I care about you so much…but I'll never be what you need."

"Shut up!"

She hugged him tight and her body shook.

"God, just shut up, Erik."

"I just need you to be my friend."

"I can do that."

He tried wiping away her tears, but she held onto his fingers. She pressed her forehead into his.

"I'm not getting back with Austin. Just so you know. Thank you for giving me the space to figure that out on my own."

"Why that nigga gotta be naked to drink some juice?"

Devika laughed loud and long and Erik joined her.

They were going to be alright. He felt it in his bones.

###


	22. Chapter 22

"_**Tell her be free, baby spread your wings**__**  
**__**Got your legs in the sky like a plane**__**  
**__**Let me guide that, I'm the pilot**__**  
**__**Can't nobody see you, 30 thousand feet**__**  
**__**On your knees in them Prada's**__**  
**__**Make the freaky shit come up out her…"**_

_**August Alsina—"Planes"**_

Twenty-Five Billion.

That was the annual revenue intake of Stark Enterprises.

The man himself was worth around thirteen-billion.

Erik sat on a stool inside a cavernous airplane hangar in Santa Ana watching Tony receive a touch up to the make-up he was wearing for the new Forbes cover he was shooting. The third richest man on the planet allowed a fussy ginger-haired man dab liquid foundation on Tony's heavily tanned face that was enduring a bit of sun damage from playing golf in Calabasas all weekend.

Erik scrolled through his work touchpad dropping notes to Pepper who was on vacation in New Zealand and wouldn't be back for three weeks. Although she was thousands of miles away, Pepper had a morning chat with Erik every day since the moment she left, and expected daily debriefings of Tony's antics.

"Turn to your left now Mr. Stark."

The photographer, Carmella, was a young Puerto Rican beauty with glossy blue-black tresses and sunburned dark pecan skin. She had been flirty with Erik when she first arrived at the hangar, parking her red jeep Wrangler near Erik's Porsche. The moment Tony arrived with his private driver, she got down to business, introducing herself and guiding Tony through the types of shots she wanted to take.

Tony's media team arrived to handle his make-up and hair and Erik hung back to make sure Boss Man stayed on schedule. They had to fly to Orlando, Florida soon after for a tech conference and Carmella was joining them for more candid shots.

Tony indulged her for she was one of the hottest photographers around and he wanted his newest Forbes cover to show a sophisticated side to himself and not just the playboy antics he was known for outside of the business. An hour into the shoot, the Forbes magazine interviewer showed up, a blue blood stiff who looked fifty but was only thirty when Erik checked his credentials before allowing him to approach Tony.

"Mr. Cormac, would you mind sitting over here," Erik said, directing him to an empty folding chair near him and the media team.

Tony switched out the dark blazer he wore for a lighter one at Carmella's suggestion and Erik witnessed their shared flirty banter. Tony could barely keep his eyes off of her legs that were gloriously displayed in the purple shorts and sandals she wore.

Tony served face in various contrived poses outside and inside his jet, and once they reached the allotted time given for the Forbes photographer, Cormac took over and interviewed Tony inside the plane. Erik sat across from them as Carmella snuck a few more candid shots.

Erik stepped off the plane to stretch his legs and Carmella followed him.

"You seem really serious," she said.

Erik looked up from his cell and eyed her.

"It's just work," he said.

Her eyes glanced over at the jet then back at him.

"So, Stark…is he single?"

Every damn time.

Erik gave a tired sigh.

"You see a ring on his finger?"

"No."

Erik looked back on his phone and texted Pepper an update on the interview.

"Attitude," she said.

He cut his eyes back to her and took in her face. She was a looker.

"Do you need to get anything from your car? We're leaving in thirty minutes," he said.

She nodded and walked away toward the private parking area.

The pilot arrived and Erik took his seat on the jet. Carmella sat across from him so that she could face Tony. Once they were in the air, Tony gave her a tour, and soon enough that tour ended in the back where his sleeping quarters were.

Cormac was busy typing on a laptop and seemed enamored of being on a plane with Tony. The security team assigned to the trip watched movies on individual chair screens.

Erik's touchpad chirped and the vid call came from Devika. He swiped his screen.

"Hey, is Tony available? He's not answering the jet phone."

"W'sup?"

"Sherrilyn Stein wants to speak with him asap. It's about the Monaco trip. Please have him call her right away."

"Will do."

He stared at her face. Her hair was flat ironed and styled a little differently. Her make-up looked overly done too.

"Where you going?" he asked.

"Girls Night."

"Hmmm-"

"What?"

"Nothin'. You look good."

Her eyes fluttered from the compliment but then she grew serious.

"How is it going?"

"Good. Pepper stays on me all the time. For someone on vacation, she can't seem to relax and leave work behind. When do you leave for your vacation?"

"I'm going to work part of Friday, but I officially start my time off Friday night. I have a red-eye to Vegas and my cousins will meet me there."

"Have fun."

"I will."

He stared at her. He missed hanging with her, but not being in a sexual relationship made them closer at work. He liked that change even though he could still look at her and feel all kinds of crazy urges. She looked happier too and whatever feelings went unspoken between them didn't cloud their interactions.

"I'll let you go. Pass the word to Tony."

He ended the call and slipped to the back of the jet. The soft hum of the plane obscured his footsteps. He wanted to be discreet, but the door was slid partially open and he could see Carmella riding Tony in reverse cowgirl. Her top was pushed up and her breasts bounced wildly as Erik's eyes dropped down to look at her vaginal lips sliding up and down Tony's sheathed erection. She began to slow grind on him and purposely pulled back her wet folds so Erik could see more. He felt his body reacting a little bit, but he pushed it aside and turned his head.

"Boss Man, you need to call Sherrilyn Stein," he said before walking away.

Ten minutes later, Carmella returned to her seat with a look of dissatisfaction on her face. When Cormac glanced at her, she quickly stood up and took the seat in the front right next to Erik. She seemed irritated. Cormac popped in some earbuds and turned off his overhead light. The humming vibration of the jet settled over everything. Erik put away his touchpad.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

She looked away from him.

"Sorry for asking," he said before staring out of the window.

"Rich guys can be pretty selfish," she grumbled.

"He didn't rock your world?" Erik teased.

She ignored his comment.

Erik smirked.

"He did have to take an important call."

"In the middle of fucking me?"

"Business is business."

"Rude is what it is."

"He's not a billionaire for nothing. He stays on the grind."

"Still rude."

"Y'all could've at least shut the door all the way."

"You liked what you saw though."

"I've seen a lot of pussy."

Carmella's neck tilted to the side.

"How old are you?"

"Old enough."

"You like being a smartass."

"I like being direct."

"I could tell you liked what you saw. You were staring hard."

She fidgeted in her seat.

"You still horny?"

He laughed softly when he saw the frustration still on her face. She didn't say anything, just tugged on the bottoms of her shorts.

"Lemme guess, he came and you didn't. Left you hanging."

Bingo.

The slight grimace on her attractive face told him everything. What a waste.

He decided to mess with her for fun.

"That's what you get for running after him."

"I didn't run after him. We had a connection."

"A connection. I see. You took the tour and then fell on his dick."

She couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Money makes any dick attractive," he said.

"It's not just money, he's crazy gorgeous—"

"Was the dick good?"

She turned her body toward him.

"It was better than I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"A decent screw. Everything is heightened on a plane of course."

"Of course."

"You just sound so….so…."

"So what?"

"Smarmy."

"Hmmm. If you say so."

Her eyes took in his face and then she stared at his lips. He let the tip of his tongue dart out and then he looked away from her while stretching his legs. When he glanced at her again, she was looking at his chest, and then her eyes slid down to his crotch.

"He's probably done with his call by now. Maybe you should go back there and see if he can make you cum."

"Too much of a bother. I'm comfortable up here now."

"Bet your pussy is still swollen."

Her mouth fell open in shock and he watched a slow flush of color darken her already sun-bronzed complexion.

He let his hand slide on his crotch and he squeezed himself just enough so that she could catch it. She squirmed in her seat. He leaned closer to her. She was his height so he didn't have to shift too much.

"Show me your pussy. Lemme see if it's still juicy."

She gasped then, her eyes darting away from his for a second before she was staring at him again with her lips parted.

Staring at her face he saw wanton desire there. It was making him feel strong arousal. His dick strained against his slacks. The bulge was growing and Carmella could see it.

"Pull your shorts off. Lemme see that fat puss."

She whimpered and her hands unbuttoned her shorts. She pulled them down without fear. Everyone else was in the back of the jet.

"Yeah, that pussy still ready," he whispered, "what happened to your panties?"

"Still in the back," she panted.

Licking her lips, she watched him adjust his dick and then squeeze it.

"You left your panties on his bed?"

"Yes."

"Did you do that on purpose?"

He squeezed his bulge again and his dick rose up stiffer.

"No."

"I think you did, so you'd have an excuse to go back there. Do you want to go back there?"

She shook her head no.

"When you were riding his dick you pulled your pussy lips open so I could see all that pink. Open your pussy for me now."

She was quick to peel back her folds.

"Oh, you wet-wet. Is that for him or me?"

She squirmed harder in the seat.

He reached down and pinched her clit.

"Answer me."

"Yes...you."

Carmella had nice lush red lips and small dark eyes with black eyeliner giving her haughty 50's bedroom chic. From her dark hair to her dark eyes, and small dark thatch of pubic hairs at the top of her mound, she was sexy as hell and it didn't surprise him at all that Tony took to her so fast.

But she had flirted with Erik first, so now he was going to play with her a little longer.

He tugged on her clit and she gave a soft moan, her inner labia spreading open wider from her own deepening arousal. So warm and sticky.

"Play with your pussy. Lemme see how you touch yourself. You like me watching you. I know you do..,"

She rubbed her fingers around her engorged clit and he lifted the armrest between them so he could face her better. She kicked off her shorts and lifted her legs onto the wide seat. He rubbed himself and it turned her on. Her pussy became wetter.

He reached for the loose blanket that sat up against his hip and placed it between them in case anyone woke up and came toward them.

"You look wetter than when you were fucking Tony," he said.

Her eyes grew tight.

"You wanna see my dick?"

She nodded.

He lifted up and glanced behind his seat. They were good to go.

He unfastened his pants and pulled out his erection and Carmella's mouth really fell open and he saw her pussy contract and open up with more pink for him to see.

"Look how wet you are," he growled as he moved closer to her so she could see how big and stiff he was.

"Bet you wish you were riding me, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Going up and down on my dick."

"Big Black dick…" she whimpered.

_Oh._ It was like that.

Could be a general observation. Or it could be some fetish shit.

At that moment, he didn't care. His pole was rock hard and ready to spit, and she had a needy pussy that was neglected by selfish dick and a man who could care less if she was satisfied.

He stroked himself slowly so she could savor every inch of what she wouldn't get. Twisting his fingers under the fat cap of his glans, he teased her further with his words until she was sweating and ready to cry.

"You'd let this Black dick nut in your pussy raw, huh? You seem like the type that would let me do that. Get deep in your pussy and make a mess…"

Her head pressed into the headrest and her toes lifted up. Her fingers ran up and down her slit teasing her clit. She was about to break and he wanted her to go down hard.

"Would I fit in your pussy? You look really tight. I'd hurt that pussy good. Stretch you all the way out. Bet you'd take it like a dirty bitch, huh?"

The slick sound of her fingers had his balls pressing up tight in his pants. Only his stiff shaft was visible in his hand. He fisted himself faster. He could see tears wetting her eyes. She wanted to explode on top of his dick

"You want me in your pussy?" he hissed low into her ear.

"Yeah! I want that big dick in me," she panted in his ear.

If he had access to a condom, he would probably lift her up and slam her down on his dick, but his belongings were under the plane.

"I'ma show you how much cum I'd put in your pussy," he grunted.

Holding his left hand down near his waist, he stroked hard on his dick while taking quick glances at her glistening wide-open folds.

"…show you how much cum…shit…oh, shit…all in your pussy girl!"

The rush at the base of his dick made his body jerk toward her and he splashed an obscene amount of cum into his hand. Grinding his teeth together to keep from yelling out loud, his ejaculate splashed onto her thighs. He reached down between her legs and smeared his hot semen all over her pussy. She exploded and he sat back to watch her pussy contract with his cum dripping all over her mound. Her body flopped in her seat and her eyes rolled back in her head as she worked her clit to milk every last earth-shattering orgasm out of her body. Keeping her mouth shut tight, the only sound that was heard was harsh inhales and exhales coming through her nose.

When she finally calmed down, she patted her vulva and played with his semen.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

Carmella laughed then covered her mouth. She licked cum from her fingers and pulled her shorts back on. Covering herself with the blanket, she watched him fasten his pants back up.

He stepped away from her and went to the restroom to urinate.

After washing his hands, he stared at himself in the mirror. He wanted to cum in Carmella's face. The compulsion to nut on her and have her down on her knees was strong. She had bounced on Tony's dick and tried to play Erik like some unlucky dweeb, but now the tables were turned. Tony had used her for quick stress relief, and he wanted to do the same just to teach her a lesson about teasing him as if Tony was worth a damn. It was petty.

When he returned to his seat, he had already lost interest in her. She slipped away to clean up her pussy and find her panties, and when she returned, he pretended to be asleep and leaned his head against the window. He felt her leaning her head on his shoulder for the rest of the flight.

When they landed in Orlando and got settled in their hotel rooms for the evening, Erik received a call on his cell phone. It was an overseas number he didn't recognize.

When he answered the phone, he recognized the voice.

"Mister Erik Stevens. I hope I haven't called you too late in the evening."

It was Francesco Grimaldo.

The Prince of Monaco.

Erik rubbed his chin.

"W'sup," he said.

"I'm ready for our rematch."

Erik stared out of his hotel room window. The midnight hour had him antsy.

"Bet," he said.


	23. Chapter 23

"_**When I'm in a bad mood  
It's good to know I have you  
You got niggas from your past that still ain't pass you  
But you're on my time  
But you're on my time now, and our past through**_

_**Now that we finally got them out the way  
All the decisions that I wanna make  
I want your body in a million ways  
Nobody ever makes me feel the same…"**_

_**DVSN—"A Muse"**_

Erik practiced playing poker online. When work was finished with Tony for the day, he would take himself to his apartment and cook a simple meal of plain brown rice with sautéed vegetables and boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Food consumed, he'd check personal emails, call his grandfather, and then hunker down on his laptop and play three hours a night. He was going to use the money Tony paid him that he had saved to get him in at the bottom: half a million dollars. Minus the other half a million he gave away to his family, he was willing to bankroll his spot at the high stakes poker table with no help from Tony.

Work had gotten serious. After Tony's cover story appeared in Forbes, the focus of his company turned toward escalating weapons manufacturing, and Erik finally saw the bread and butter of Stark Industries. His days were spent working with Tony at his subsidiary company AccuTech designing a new missiles system that he called Jericho X. The man spent hours of brainpower trying to create an experimental model that he wanted to manufacture and have on the market within five years. Inking a new contract with the United States Armed Forces, Tony was under pressure to deliver the hot-launched missiles sooner than the five-year deadline he gave AccuTech. The man was hands-on and Erik's education at the Naval Academy was useful to him. Erik had the mind of a soldier, and his training was meant to prepare him for his forthcoming Naval career. Those military eyes helped him on the job.

Erik had to concede once more that Tony was a smart motherfucker and his focus on work was just as laser-sharp and obsessive as Erik. Working around him on the Jericho X project was eye-opening and the long hours pushed Erik's mind to its limits. He was allowed to work at AccuTech and give up a lot of his assistant tasks which he was all for. He acted with restrained professionalism, and that allowed him to hang around after hours to do his own experimentation with the vibranium.

It did take the heads of AccuTech a couple of weeks to be accustomed to a Black teen having so much access to a secret project. If he had been some lanky white teen with an overly ingratiating personality, no one would question his presence. He would just be viewed as a white boy genius and "Atta boy!" accolades would've been thrown at him along with pats on the back. Instead, he was a Black boy genius faced with bias and suspicion. He endured the usual bullshit just so he could get his hands on equipment, testing space, and cutting-edge STEM knowledge.

Sitting on his bed and winding down from playing online poker, he checked out the housing available to him at M.I.T. In six months, he was leaving for grad school and he was already designing his life there. He checked out restaurants and clubs, searched for areas that had Black people and Black cultural things he could access. He searched for any capoeira spaces and the ones he found were white-dominated and he wanted Black people to practice with. He needed Black touchstones to keep him sane after his experience at the Naval Academy and Stark's internship.

Checking the M.I.T. website he found an alumni link that helped new students transition to the Institute. A few hyperlinks found him peeping the on-campus radio station, WMBR, that served the Cambridge-Boston area. Listening to a few archived music shows, he stumbled across one that was deejayed by someone called ButtaFly. The show was called Cosmic Café and when he listened to the first ten minutes, he immediately bookmarked it and added it to his listening rotation. The music was Blackity Black and spanned generations, and the DJ did live mixes that had Erik head bobbing.

For two months he laid on his bed from twelve midnight until two in the morning just being carried away by the sounds and also the voice of ButtaFly, a woman who made Erik's entire body relax. She opened her show with a positive quote or a bit of poetry and then she had themes that she created stringing songs from the field hollers of Black chain gangs to the Black Neo Soul of 90s British R&B, or any type of current African diaspora music she could blend with Hip Hop, Deep House, or Electronica.

He tried looking up personal details or even pictures of ButtaFly, but she was a hidden ghost, just words and rhythms and vocal soothing that helped him sleep before heading off for the grueling hours of AccuTech.

She became his brain muse, expanding his mind so he could juggle the science he worked with every day.

Stretching on his bed, Erik closed his eyes and put in his earbuds.

"As-salaam 'alaykum, Beloved. Welcome to the Cosmic Café. I am your host, DJ ButtaFly bringing you that good nourishment, that savory food for your mind, body, and spirit. Tonight's theme is going to run us into the realm of quantum physics. A little Afrofuturism to get us through Black History Month…"

Erik felt his shoulders loosen up and he closed his eyes. He tried to imagine what type of face went with the sultry voice blessing his ears. The modulations and changes in tone she used as she spoke hypnotized his ears. Muscles throughout his body relaxed and he wondered what kind of musical journey she would take her listeners on that night.

"I want to open the show with a piece from a sister whose work I adore, Alexis Pauline Gumb. I feel like someone out there needs to hear it. I know I do. This is taken from her book of experimental poetry called 'Dub: Finding Ceremony'. This particular joint is called 'Commitment'. Are you ready, Fam?"

Erik nodded his head as he grew more comfortable, slipping deeper into a state of mental ease. He rolled his right hand down his chest and rested it on his stomach. Lying nude in the dark he could almost hear his heartbeat.

"_We promise to wake you if we think you won't get the point of the dream. We promise to show up if you show up. Everyday. We promise to make you feel sick if you lie to yourself. We promise to let love through if it's love you came to do…"_

Soft. Soothing. Safe.

Her voice cradled and held him in a warm place. She wrapped his thoughts around her words.

"_We promise to make time flexible if you give us your time. We promise to think of you more often than you think of us. We promise to remember you when you forget. We promise to be wherever and in everything you haven't noticed yet. We promise to be we, even one by one…"_

Erik's body floated. He was still firmly pressed on his bed, but the eternal part of himself seemed to rise above his tired flesh and hover at the beckoning of ButtaFly's mouth thousands of miles away.

"_We promise to outsmart your mind. We promise to overlove your heart. We promise to echo over your voice. We promise you everything. Everything. All we ask."_

An image formed in his mind.

Full lips. Feline eyes. Skin rich and dark and made for touching and deep kissing.

His hand slid to his manhood.

ButtaFly spun dreams, drums, and breakbeats, sounds and rhythms that kept him floating above himself even as he stroked a growing erection in his hand. He tried to create a more detailed rendering of what he imagined the DJ to look like, but as pre-cum beaded at the tip of his swollen glans, his brain substituted Devika's face and body as a placeholder and he ran with it.

He tugged hard on his dick, keeping a tight grip right under the ridge of his tip. He imagined Devika's ass wiggling as he slapped his dick on her ass cheeks. ButtaFly's music urged him on and when she spoke to her audience about the songs she was about to mix in next, he latched onto her voice and grunted hard.

"Fuck!"

His hand was slick and more pre-cum spilled onto his fingers.

"Fuck this dick!"

"_You ready for more?"_

The haunting track ButtaFly flooded his ears with dragged him to the edge. He jumped up and turned over on his bed. Grabbing his pillow, he jammed it under his waist and ground his dick on it, pumping his hips as his glutes flexed hard. Eyes squeezed shut he conjured up images of a shapely ass clapping loud because of his thrusts.

A disembodied voice had him humping his pillow, the casing growing damp from the amount of pre-cum he was shooting out from his sensitive tip. He jammed his right hand on top of his erection to create a tunnel, allowing him to pretend he was in ButtaFly's pussy. His hand was slippery and he pushed down on the pillow to get more friction. The music in his ears was made for fucking and he thrust harder imagining some tight pussy yanking on his dick as his balls pounded into a nice soft ass. She sounded like the type who could throw it back on him and make him cry because it was so good. He lost it then.

He yelled like he was knee-deep in gushy pussy.

His thighs grew taught and his orgasm rushed across his ass and up over his back and neck before any semen flooded all over his pillow and sheets. A long groan blew out from his throat as he rubbed out another smaller nut. His fingers touched the pillow. The whole thing was soaked and sticky.

Leaning on his thighs he threw his head back to stretch his neck.

The moment he got to M.I.T. he was going to look for that DJ. There was no way in hell she could make him cum like that and he not find out what she looked like. His dick was still hard, and she kept the music going. He reached for his cell and searched through some old files. He pulled one up.

Athena.

She allowed him to film her as he hit from the back while she held onto her bedroom dresser. He watched Athena's big titties hang down and bounce in the mirror as he pounded her pussy. Jacking off again he allowed the music in his ears to narrate the fucking he watched himself do on his phone. Cradling one overly full breast in his hand on film, he watched his video self cum inside of her, calling out her name as she released on his dick screaming his. His eager hand worked his dick on the bed, the hard strokes slowed down until his cum splashed all over his stomach. He fell back on the bed feeling wiped out.

During his lunch break the next day, he downloaded the book of poetry, ButtaFly shared from the previous night, and read the piece at least five times. The words resonated with him. And they did something else: reminded him of his purpose.

Inside the work labs at AccuTech, Erik studied the mock-ups of new guns and smart weapons. He toyed with experimenting with vibranium and creating sonic weapons.

"_We promise to outsmart your mind."_

The line of the poem came back to him.

Staring at the new gun design that Tony had posed with on the Forbes magazine cover, Erik thought of converting it and somehow using the properties of the vibranium on it. As he listened to the best weapons designers grapple with the Jericho X missile prototypes, Erik memorized what he saw so that he could sketch it out later in his apartment. He wanted to compare it to the designs he saw in his father's old journals. He asked to work on the Stark sonic canon, a non-lethal long-range acoustic device. Granted permission to do so, he studied how the LRADs could be modified with the ideas he had swimming in his head. He looked for cheap and easy ways to mass manufacture devices that could be shipped around the world undetected. But he had to figure out how much vibranium it would take to modify Stark's LRADs. He only had six months left to absorb all he could.

He stayed diligent with his work and Tony visited AccuTech often giving his thoughts on their progress. Stark was preoccupied with some politicians giving him grief, and also preparing for the new batch of summer interns. He stripped down the number of interns he would have from 100 to fifty. That meant it would be even more competitive. Summoned to Tony's Los Angeles office from Palos Verdes where he had been working, Erik stepped into the outer sanctum and found Devika speaking to some assistants from other higher-ups. She took one look at him and paused for a long time. He realized then that they hadn't seen one another for a couple of months, his time spent in Palos Verdes cutting off contact between them in person.

He was about to step into Tony's office, but she held up a hand signaling for him to wait. When the assistants left, she walked over to him.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi."

Her eyes stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time.

"What?" he said feeling self-conscious.

"Something about you is different."

"How so?"

He sat on her desk.

"There's a swagger about you that is different…hmmm, more confident maybe?"

"When have I ever been less confident?"

"You look…good. Sophisticated."

Her eyes flitted away from his face. She was acting bashful all of a sudden.

"How's Wyatt?" he asked.

Her eyes regarded him carefully.

Wyatt was her new boyfriend, an older dude from Seattle she met at a mixer in Los Feliz.

"He's doing well. Thanks for asking."

He let his eyes linger on hers. She was still checking him out.

"He better be treating you like a Queen. Let me know if he doesn't," he said moving off of her desk and heading into Tony's office.

"Stevens. Good, we can get this intern stuff sorted. Come with me."

Tony swept past him and Erik followed. They only went around the corner from his office and into a mid-sized conference room. Pepper was inside the space along with two other executives Erik was not familiar with.

"Awesome, we can finish up now," Pepper said.

Tony and Erik took a seat at the end of the oval conference table facing a blank wall. Pepper handed them touchpads and turned on a floating screen.

"We've narrowed down applicants to just under three hundred. You need to choose who you want to be interviewed."

Erik and Tony scrolled CVs on the touchpads. So many names.

They painstakingly went through every CV, staring at applicant photos floating in front of them. Tony was open to Erik's suggestions, and this fact alone opened up the pool of applicants from ones Tony would've overlooked from his own biases. He tended to court favor with those from Ivy League schools and who had the same boring backgrounds. Mainly white and East Asian applicants who all did the shit that they thought would make them stand out. How many classically trained pianists/violinists who played La Crosse, Tennis, Chess, and water polo did one need? Sometimes too many extracurricular activities signaled a follower. A simp that did things not because they enjoyed it but because it padded their resume. He forced Tony to consider graduates from non-Ivy Leagues, those who did community-based work where they lived. More women applicants of color, especially Black and Latinx ones. He even suggested Tribal Colleges and lower-tiered public universities and colleges. He also mentioned looking at people who didn't have perfect Dean's Lists grades.

"I tell you what. I'll give you three weeks to open up the pool and bring in those types of potential interns you suggested. Pepper, give him access to the advertising bulletins," Tony said.

"That's cutting it close, Tony, we need to have interviews lined up and applicants chosen by the beginning of May."

Pepper and the other two Execs looked annoyed.

"Stevens can get it done. Give him the bulletins," Tony said, standing up.

Erik followed Tony out of the conference room.

"Let's go have lunch," Tony said.

Tony drove them to a restaurant in Pasadena. A small French café with excellent crepes filled with savory meats and sauces.

"Are you enjoying AccuTech?" Tony asked.

Erik nodded as he chewed a forkful of chicken masala crepes.

"I'm getting good reports about you. You've adjusted to the pace."

"It's cool. The LRAD work is right up my alley. That's what I'll study at school. Hands-on work will have me ahead of the curve."

"Grimaldo keeps hitting me up. He is ready for this re-match."

"I am too,"

"You sure you don't want me to bankroll you?"

"Nah."

"He tends to be at his best on his home turf."

"I'm good."

"Some things to know…"

A waiter brought over a glass of wine for Tony and sparkling water for Erik.

"We will be among a lot of royalty. I know you have excellent sartorial choices, but I need you to step up even more and have some formal clothing for at least a week—"

"A week? We'll be gone that long?"

"I'm making some business deals while I'm there, so work will be happening. You can use that time to work on the intern stuff. Pepper isn't coming with us, so I will slip you back into your old personal assistant role. She'll guide you from here. You'll need to be extra discreet while we are over there, and also be prepared for last-minute changes."

Erik ate his meal and listened.

"You sound kind of nervous," Erik said.

"Not nervous. This Jericho deal is very important and we'll be among some other industrialists and even some nefarious characters that want to see me fail. Things have to be tight and not attracting negative attention."

Erik nodded.

"I like the things you brought up at the intern meeting."

"Pepper and the others didn't sound so delighted."

"They'll get over it. It's why I put it in your hands for new outreach. Hey, are you sure about leaving for school after August?"

"Yeah. Gotta get that graduate degree."

"You should stay on at AccuTech."

Erik shook his head.

"M.I.T., Navy. That order."

Tony finished up his wine and glanced at his watch.

"Back to work," he said.

Erik stopped at Tony's office before picking up his car in the Stark garage. Devika was alone there, and her eyes seemed to light up when she saw him again.

"How was lunch?"

"Good. What do you want me to bring back from Monaco for you?"

"You don't have to bring me anything—"

"I want to."

"A t-shirt is cool-"

"T-shirt? That's so gauche. I'll bring you something classy."

"Don't spend a lot, Erik."

"I'll bring you back something that won't make your man jealous. How 'bout that?"

"Okay."

He smiled at her. The aroma of her perfume hit his nose suddenly and the scent took him back to her bedroom and the smell of her on his skin.

"I'm out," he said walking away quickly.

When his work was over for the day, he spread out on his bed nude and slipped on his earbuds.

"_As-salaam 'alaykum, Beloved. Welcome to the Cosmic Café…"_

Erik's muse took him away once more. Soothed his spirit. Steadied his mind.

He was ready for Monaco.

###


	24. Chapter 24

"_**And the heart speaks in whispers**_

_**And so it's all over  
So they've already run  
And we all fall down  
And the clouds, they blot out the sun  
Very soon your world could be different  
But you've got your mind set on silence, silence, silence…"**_

_**Corinne Bailey Rae**_**—"The Skies Will Break"**

Aunt Serah hooked him up once again.

The moment they touched down in Monaco, Erik had Tony's driver take him to a small men's boutique called Riani Noire.

"28 Boulevard des Moulins," Erik said in his best French.

"How do you know about this place?" Tony asked.

"My Aunt knows some people and sent them my measurements. I didn't have time to get anything made, so she had her friend of a friend make alterations on a suit she picked out."

"Wait, you haven't seen the suit yet?"

"Nope. Trying it on when I get there. I told y'all to go on to the hotel without me. I can make it around on my own. I know enough French to get by."

The Stark Industries security head sat in the front seat next to the driver as Erik and Tony rode in the back. Happy turned his head to look at Erik.

"You are under the protection of Mr. Stark. We can't have you running around alone."

"You got enemies out here? With all this money?" Erik asked.

"Frenemies…forget about that, you trust that this suit is going to—"

"My Aunt knows clothes."

The dark Mercedes whipped them in front of the men's boutique.

"Don't know how long this will take," Erik said.

"I'm coming in. Happy, ride around until I call for you," Tony said stepping out of the car before the driver helped him with the door.

Erik pressed the button on the boutique door and texted the owner inside just to be safe. He knew that the staff inside were staring at the two of them from a security camera. Both were dressed to impress with suits and ties. A buzzer popped open the glass door.

A lanky salt and pepper haired white man with icy green eyes and a full silver beard greeted them at the second entrance door.

"Mr. Stevens?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Jules Menton."

"This is Tony Stark," Erik said.

"Mr. Stark, so pleased you could take time to visit with us. This way gentlemen."

They followed Jules through a deceptively small display room and into a private dressing room in the back.

"Champagne?" Jules asked pointing to a tall table that held several glasses.

Tony took one and Erik passed on it.

"Have a seat and I will bring out your suit, Mr. Stevens."

Getting comfortable on a plush orange settee, Erik looked around. Tasteful accessories for men were displayed in blinding white casings. Tony leaned back and took it in.

"How much is this going to set you back?"

"My Aunt took care of it. Called in some favors."

Jules walked back in with a young man who rolled the covered suit on a gold rack with a shelf under it. The shelf held several different black shoes.

Jules opened the protective covering and both Erik and Tony gave impressed nods. Erik stood up and touched the material.

"Damn, Auntie, holding it down as usual," Erik muttered.

"What exactly does your Aunt do, Stevens?"

"She works in the London Museum. She's an expert on ancient African and Asian art."

"She may have a second calling. That suit is exceptional," Tony said admiring the craftsmanship in the detailing.

The suit was everything Erik expected his Aunt to procure.

The outer jacket was long, reaching down past his knees with three different shades of black mixed with dark gray-black lapels and collar. Shiny black 3D embroidery was sewn up and down the entire suit jacket.

"We took the liberty of matching up several dress shoes that would go with this for you in case you were interested," Jules said. The man admired his handiwork.

"This way Mr. Stevens," the young man who brought the suit said.

Erik followed him to a wide dressing room and was left alone with the entire ensemble complete with socks, cufflinks, and watches. He took his time dressing and was pleasantly surprised when the suit fit him to a T. He chose a pair of dress shoes that matched his tastes.

When he stepped out to show Tony, the man whistled. Jules had a look of extreme pleasure on his face.

"How does it feel? Do I need to fix anything?" Jules asked.

Erik turned around and held out his arms.

"You on point, Jules."

Tony put his right hand on his face.

"I may have to reconsider what I was going to wear," Tony said.

Erik snapped a picture for his Aunt and returned to the dressing room to change back into his other clothes.

Jules had the suit, shoes, and the few extra items Erik picked out wrapped up. The suit was covered by his Aunt, but he had to pay for the shoes and extras himself which did cost a pretty penny.

Jules handed both Tony and Erik his card before they left.

"Give your Aunt my best," Jules said.

Happy stood outside the boutique near the car. He opened the backseat door for Tony. The trunk popped open and Erik placed his items inside.

Whisked over to the Hermitage Hotel where they were staying, Erik grew tired.

"Dinner?" Tony suggested.

"I just want room service and a nap, Boss Man," Erik said.

"Let's meet in my suite for breakfast, go over some intern stuff, and then meet up for an early dinner before the Palace Party tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

"Change your mind about dinner, text me within the hour, or else you will find me downstairs."

"Cool. I doubt if I'll change my mind. Jet lag kicking my butt right now."

Erik's junior suite made him sleepier with the curtains closed and the ambient temperature just right. He hung up his suit and place his extra bags in the closet. Falling on the queen bed, he kicked off his shoes. Checking his cell for online content, he stuck his earbuds in and listened to ButtaFly. He fell asleep before she even finished her intro.

He missed breakfast with Tony the next day, but they met for a light lunch and Erik was able to give Tony his final interview picks. He was asked to forward them to Pepper. Tony's room was being hella extra with all the five-star treatment, and Erik could only imagine how much he was spending per night for both of them and his security.

Tony lounged in mint satin pajamas. His hair was every which way on his head even though he kept running his fingers through his layered cut. He drank coffee and munched on a croissant stuffed with cream cheese and ham while watching Erik upload intern CVs and applications.

"You okay, Boss Man?"

Tony glanced at him as he poured another cup of coffee.

"This place makes me sleepless."

"Want me to leave? We can finish this tomorrow."

"No, let's complete it now," he said.

They sat out on his private balcony and the view was a wide spread of the richest country with the most millionaires on the planet. Monaco was the hub of the super-wealthy. Even the air smelled expensive and decrepit to Erik. Tony's face looked pensive. Something was bothering him.

"Boss Man, is something wrong?"

Tony rested his hands on the balcony railing. He glanced back at Erik, and there was a shine in his eyes that wasn't just from the sunlight.

Erik stood up.

"Mr. Stark?"

Tony waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, but then he turned to stare off into the distance.

"Today is just a rough day for me."

Walking over to the balcony, Erik looked out over the view too.

"Today is the anniversary of my parent's death."

Erik stared at Tony.

"I was here goofing off with Grimaldo as a teenager. I snuck off on one of my father's corporate jets and partied hard. Didn't even speak to my parents while I was here."

"How did they die?"

"Car accident. I'd fought with my father before I left and my mother begged me to make peace with him. I refused. The old man used to ride me hard. All the time. Nothing I did was good enough for him. But I knew I was good enough. Worthy of his respect. He never gave it to me though."

Tony leaned his elbows on the railing.

"I was here, drunk out of my mind with Grimaldo when our family butler called me. Jarvis."

A sad smile crept on Tony's lips.

"Edwin Jarvis. Jesus. Time fucking flies. Jarvis called me and told me my parents were gone, and I asked, 'Gone where? Hawaii? Spain?'. I couldn't fathom for the life of me that my butler was telling me my parents were removed from this planet in a car accident. Howard and Maria Stark. Here no more."

His face hardened.

"Sometimes, when I come here, it's bittersweet. Today is the day that always haunts me. I thought I would get past it, but that cloud comes right on schedule."

Tony closed his eyes then peeped the horizon again.

"I lost my parents too."

Tony glanced over at Erik.

He felt a thickening in his throat and he couldn't stop himself from talking. He didn't want to talk about it, but the look and demeanor of Tony made him want to share his secret pain too.

"My father was murdered in our apartment and my mom died a few months later. Back to back. A one-two punch. I was a little kid when it happened."

Tony nodded his head and stood up from leaning.

"I had no idea we share something like that."

"You know how it is. Keep it close to the vest. Push back on it as much as you can."

"You can never push it away."

"I know."

Erik gripped the railing with his hands.

"Stevens…"

Erik's head fell forward and the tears came from out of nowhere. When he wiped them away and tried to look at his boss with blurry eyes, Tony had leaking eyes too.

"It gets less heavy as you get older. The pain always stays, but you'll live with it. Moments like these just catch up with you."

Erik nodded his head and wiped his eyes.

"Jarvis helped raise me and by then I was university-bound. I threw myself into my studies and eventually took over Stark Industries. I was rough and tumble at times, but I think I came out okay."

"I was raised by my Grandpop and extended family. Had some tumbling myself."

"Rough life?"

"Juvie. Foster Care," Erik said.

"You are exceptional Stevens, despite the circumstances. Your parents would be very proud of you young man."

Tony reached out and patted Erik's shoulder, squeezing it gently when he felt Erik shudder.

"I hope I make them proud. I miss them every day. But I know they loved the hell outta me. We were tight."

"I was close to my mother. My Dad…"

Tony moved his hand from Erik's shoulder.

"Let's finish lunch and rest up for tonight, alright?"

Erik walked back to the balcony chair and finished eating his sandwich and a cobb salad.

"Meet me in the lobby at seven-thirty," Tony said.

Erik walked down the hall to his junior suite and took off his clothes. He slid under the covers on his bed and cried. Curling into a ball his tears swept him into a pitiful sleep.

###

Erik and Tony entered the Prince's Palace of Monaco amidst security and a wave of guests that was a who's who of Western Europe.

Happy followed discreetly behind them and kept in communication with two other Stark security team members brought over to work the palace.

"Look alive Stevens," Tony said.

Erik stood and watched Tony schmooze with royalty and heads of state. Erik received a ton of stares and compliments about his suit. He loosened up a bit when he drank champagne and eventually Tony allowed him to wander around on his own. He nibbled on some pate and finger sandwiches that were passed out with servers. Seven hundred years standing and the palace interior looked so basic to Erik. Gaudy.

"Are you here representing a country?"

The wide brown moon-shaped face watched Erik's face with curiosity. The trimmed gray hair, crisp black tuxedo, and expensive rings on his finger made Erik interested in him.

"No, I'm here with Tony Stark."

"Tony Stark, the industrialist?"

The man stepped closer to Erik. They both stood near an open ballroom.

"I am Sadou Moumie, Ambassador of Cameroon."

Erik shook the man's hand.

"Erik Stevens."

Prince Francesco Grimaldo swept into the ballroom with fanfare and applause. Walking with him was a young twenty-something white woman dressed to the nines followed by a few other richly dressed people.

"The Prince and the royal family," Sadou said.

"Are the King and Queen making an appearance?"

"The King has not been well for a long time. We may be looking at the new head of state."

They watched Grimaldo make the rounds with his family.

"What do you do for Stark?"

The man's eyes were inquisitive, and Erik had a feeling that he was fishing for connections of some kind.

"I'm his assistant."

Erik made it sound unimportant. The man still looked curious about him.

"Excuse me," Erik said when his eye caught sight of a very attractive young Black woman standing alone near a group of older men.

Easing past guests, Erik made his way over to Tony. His boss walked away before Erik could reach him, so Erik was on his own approaching the woman. Her silky black hair was pinned into a French twist, and her golden almond skin color was deepened by an obvious love of sunbathing. She reached for a glass of wine and Erik grabbed one too just to get next to her.

The woman's eyes caught him and he saw the immediate interest as she took in his clothes. She sipped her red wine, then her left index finger went to her lip.

"Nice gathering," Erik said looking around trying to play off his interest.

"The Royals know how to throw a party," she said in a thick French accent.

"You know them?"

"I'm friends with the family. You?"

"I'm here with a co-worker…my boss."

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Now I am," he said throwing her some dimples.

He held out his hand.

"I'm Erik."

She stared at his hand with a smirk on her lips, then she looked back at his face.

"Just Erik?" she said taking his hand with a look of amusement.

Erik noticed some secret security heading his way, but then they went around him abruptly.

"Um…yeah. Just Erik. Erik Stevens."

"Are you royalty?"

"What? Nah, why would you say that?"

"You look and move like royalty. But your English is American."

"I am American. Wait, what's your name?"

"Vivienne."

"Vivienne…so you come to the palace a lot?"

"Yes. The parties are always a treat."

She eyed him and put down her wine glass on a random server's tray.

"Would you like to go for a smoke? I need to have a moment and I know a spot," she said.

"Okay."

He followed her to a different floor and they slipped past security and the mingling groups of guests. She peeked out at a side balcony.

"Come on. It's all clear," she said.

He stepped out with her and was happy that the balcony did give them some privacy.

She pulled two cigarettes from her small emerald encrusted clutch bag. Lighting them with a fancy gold lighter, she handed him the clove flavored cigarette. He preferred weed, but he could smoke what she gave him to be polite.

It tasted good. A little sweet.

"It's my own personal blend," she said watching him savor the flavor.

Her dark eyes looked him over again.

"What?"

"That ensemble is spectacular. You look gorgeous in it. Please tell me about your tailor."

"I got the suit here. Jules Menton."

"Interesting," she said blowing a stream of smoke from her lips.

"I like your dress, very unique color," he said.

She touched the top of her strapless long dress.

"This color was made for me. It is called Vivienne Orange. You won't find it anywhere else."

"I'm glad I have the privilege of seeing it."

"I'll donate it after tonight."

She came from big money. Connections to the royal family. Mixed. Her skin and thick wavy hair reflected the gifting of melanin and curls from a parent of African descent. Her English was heavy with an accent. French citizen. Born and raised. Educated at an elite boarding school. Probably did university in London. Oxford perhaps.

"You are studying me, oui?"

Her lips were pouty like he offended her for staring so hard. That dress was doing a number on him. It was long and he tried to imagine what her legs looked like.

"How long are you here for?" she asked.

"A few days. My boss and I will be meeting with Prince Francesco."

Now her eyes were busy studying him.

"Not too many Black Americans come here. To the palace."

"Do a lot of Black people come here period? Besides you?"

"Not many."

"My boss knows the Prince well."

"Who is your boss?"

"He runs Stark Industries."

"Tony? He's here?"

Her eyes looked bright with overexcitement.

"Oh, so you know about him."

"I could tell you stories."

"I bet."

"You should know already."

"Trust me, I do."

She cracked up then and touched her chest with her left hand.

"We need to sit and trade tales then."

She stubbed out her cigarette and tossed it over the balcony. He did the same.

"Let's go find Tony," she said.

"Why? I like talking to you by myself."

"We'll talk more later. Come."

She walked back into the side room and he followed close to her heels. Gliding back to the ballroom, they both found Tony talking with Grimaldo. When Tony saw him, his eyes glanced at Vivienne then back at him quickly with surprise.

"Mr. Erik Stevens," Grimaldo said.

The Prince gave Erik the smile that reminded him of the Cheshire cat. A trickster's smile. He followed royal protocols and stayed a good two feet away from the Prince and the two women next to him.

"Erik, this is my wife Princess Charlotte, and my eldest daughter, Princess Clara…"

Erik gave a slight head nod to them in a formal greeting. Both women held out their hands first for Erik to shake. Princess Charlotte had a full head of dark brown spiral curls. Their college-aged daughter Clara had short blonde hair swept to the side with a silk green ribbon.

"Ah, I see you have already met my niece, Princess Vivienne."

Erik's eyes darted to Vivienne's.

"You're a Princess?"

"I told you I was friends with the royals."

"You are a royal."

"I'm still friends with them," she teased.

She moved past Erik and held her hand out for Boss Man.

"Tony, it is so good to see you again," Vivienne said.

Erik stared at her.

A Black Princess of Monaco.

"I am going to steal your assistant from you, Tony," Vivienne said grabbing Erik's hand.

"Don't go far," Grimaldo called after them.

The night got a whole lot better in Erik's mind.


End file.
